To Be a Boy
by Anjelle
Summary: Portgas D. Ann is the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard pirates. She now has a family - a place where she belongs. She leaves to visit her brothers and wakes up one morning... as a man. And thus begins the awkward story of Portgas D. Ace! MarcoAce romance.
1. Their Reunion

**To my veteran readers: I hurt my hand worse than before (see profile for details) so this'll be the only thing I upload for a little while. I decided to post it since I'm 6 1/2 in so that you guys still have something to read while I rest up. I would have uploaded _Imagined Life_ since that one's getting more votes but I'm only done 3 chapters so it wouldn't have been enough. I know many of you don't care for genderbenders but this is all you're getting until I fix my tendons and muscle :P And at least it's not a story about Ace becoming a girl e_e;**

**To my _Divide_ readers: Yes Sabo is in it (the beginning and later on) but he's not the same Sabo as the one that you all love. This one is less of an ass. He's in the first 3 chapters and then won't show up for a while. By the way, this story will only be 15 chapters at absolute most. It'll probably just end up 10, meaning I'm almost done. I put him in to practice different ways of writing him. _Divide_!Sabo will (sort of) make an appearance in future works I'm planning. Hell, he's the main character of one or two! Let's just hope I can get _Skip_ done soon hehehe...**

**Important! I will post the next chapter in a few days depending on the responses. If it isn't gaining the interest of a fair number of people or if it isn't getting good feedback I'll stop posting it (though I'm going to keep writing). This is because it's getting less votes and therefore means that my usual readers aren't interested in it. But if it is I will keep posting and writing (once my hand gets better and midterms are over).**

**Please review!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. I own the original parts of the plot, but not the stuff taken from Oda. He'd have me assassinated if I claimed it as my own e_e;**

* * *

Marco opened his eyes slowly to the sound of shuffling. Through his blurred, tired vision he made out a black-haired woman sitting on the edge of the bed.

"…Ann?"

The girl turned to him and smiled. "Sorry, did I wake you?" She looked away once more and slipped on one of her boots. Marco blinked a few times, trying to remain alert in his exhaustion, ignoring her question.

"What are you doing yoi?"

Her response was a large grin. After she tied her second boot she slid over to him on the bed until their faces were mere inches from each other. She slowly leaned in and brushed her lips against his teasingly before pulling him into a fast kiss. He leaned into her to deepen it but she moved away, laughing at his displeasure.

"I'm heading out. I'll be back soon, though, so just go back to sleep."

"Where?"

"To see my brothers," she replied. The blonde's brow furrowed in a look of concern, leading her to sigh and roll her eyes. "I'll be _fine_, Marco. I'm the second division commander for a reason, you know."

"I know yoi," was his response, but that look never left his face.

"Then stop worrying," she commanded as she lifted herself from the bed and hoisted her green and black bag over her shoulder. Before she could move out of his reach, the blonde gently grabbed hold of her wrist. She looked at him again, a bit more annoyed than before.

"Be careful yoi," he said, holding her firmly.

Ann sighed but smiled. She bent down near to his face and flicked his forehead. "If you keep worrying your face is going to get stuck like that." Without waiting for a response she spun on her heel and left the room.

Marco turned and stared out the small window near the bed. The moon was still high in the sky and he just knew he wasn't going to get much sleep. Normally he didn't worry much about his lover—she was one of the strongest people he knew—but something felt off to him. He couldn't help the sense of unease that entered his thoughts. Still, he forced it aside; Ann never lied to him so he trusted that she would return unharmed.

* * *

Ann groaned from her seat on Striker, staring up at the hot, blinding sun. While she told her lover she wouldn't be gone long, a week had passed and only then did she reach her destination. Finally the island came into view—her home. She smiled while imagining the looks on her brothers' faces when she showed up. Luffy was going to be seventeen in a few days and would finally begin his journey to become the Pirate King. She didn't doubt that he'd do it either—not since she dropped her ambition of becoming Pirate Queen. She was happy simply working under Oyaji and staying with her family aboard the Moby Dick. Of course, she wasn't going to just let him get that title and was aiming for Whitebeard to become King instead, but secretly she was rooting for her little brother.

Ann and Sabo had been exchanging letters since they both set out three years ago. It was through said letters that the two agreed to meet and spend a few days with Luffy before he started his own adventure. It was exciting to know that her little brother was finally joining them on the open sea.

A sharp pain brought her away from her thoughts and she winced, wrapping her arms around herself. On her way to visit Luffy she was caught in a fight with some unknown pirates. They attacked her out of nowhere and, despite her ability, succeeded in injuring her before she took them out. She was lucky enough that a Revolutionary ship was passing through and the crew treated her wounds; they were nothing serious but she had, in her excitement to meet her brothers, forgotten to pack a first aid kit. Oh how Marco would rub it in her face when she got back. She thought that the person who treated her wounds said she wouldn't be in any pain but maybe she heard wrong.

After what she deemed 'a hell of a long time', Ann reached Fushia Village's dock. She hopped off Striker and fastened it to the wood before adjusting her hat and turning to face the familiar sight. She smiled as she stepped away from the dock and onto the shore. Really, nothing had changed since she'd left. She felt nostalgia sweep through her as she passed houses and shops that were just as they were three years before.

Seeing as Fushia was so small, it didn't take Ann long to cross through to the other side where the forest began. She took in a deep breath and prepared for the long hike ahead.

* * *

"Ann!" Luffy shouted as he rushed the girl, arms outstretched while a tall blonde casually meandered over to the pair. He smiled as his brother locked their sister into an embrace, laughing in his excitement.

"Oi, oi, Luffy, you're going to crush my ribs," Ann stated as she tried to pry his limbs from her sides. Eventually she succeeded in removing the rubbery appendages and smiled, getting a better look at her little brother. He was a lot taller than when they last met and, much to her dismay, was quickly catching up to her in height. It was expected because she was a girl but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Shishishi, sorry! I'm just so excited to see you again!"

"I can tell," she replied, ruffling the boy's hair. Her gaze turned to the blonde beside Luffy and they both smiled at each other. "Looks like you beat me here."

"You were slow. What took you so long?"

Ann shrugged. "Got into a fight with some rookies. I got a bit hurt and it slowed me down."

"You okay?"

"Of course," she started, "I'm a commander of the Whitebeard pirates, after all. Something as small as that isn't going to take me down."

Sabo laughed and patted her on the back. The three headed deeper into the forest to visit their hideout and reminisce.

* * *

"So you managed to find a guy? I'm impressed," Sabo teased. He laughed when he saw Ann's eyebrow twitch.

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just... Let's face it; you're a bit of a brute."

"I'm a_ pirate_."

"True," he said. His smile grew wider when he noted the irritation on her face.

"So," Luffy interrupted after he got tired of their boring conversation, "you're with the Whitebeard pirates now?"

Ann's mood flipped instantaneously and her eyes softened with a fondness she rarely showed. "Yeah; they're great!" She paused and thought over all of their adventures and the exciting battles they fought. Where should she start? There was so much to tell about the crew and, in all honesty, she could go on for hours detailing just the members themselves. "They're more of a family than a group of pirates. Whitebeard calls us his children and we call him 'Oyaji'."

"And you're okay with that?" Sabo asked. He knew far too well that Ann couldn't stand to refer to anyone as 'father'. Her hatred for Roger ran deep and because of that he never thought she'd willingly call anyone using that title. He watched her closely and noticed her deep concentration.

"Well I wasn't at first but…look!" Instead of explaining it she stood, turned and pointed proudly at the large purple and white tattoo on her back. The two brothers gawked at it with interest.

"So I take it that's why you're not wearing much clothing," Sabo said, looking over the symbol with fondness. He was impressed that Whitebeard was able to win his sister over to such an extent. Maybe he was worrying for nothing.

"It's my pride," she stated before sitting back down on the ground.

They remained quiet for a moment before Luffy decided to step in. "What about you, Sabo? Do you have your own crew?" He looked to the older with big, excited eyes.

"That I do not, little brother."

"Awe, why not?"

"I'm with the Revolutionary Army now."

"Who're they?" Luffy asked while cocking his head to the side. Sabo just laughed.

"They're a group that's trying to bring down the World Government. I'm head of their intelligence division."

"I'm surprised they let you leave," Ann chimed in, looking at the blonde.

"Yeah, me too."

Suddenly another pain shot through Ann's body. She cringed and curled unto herself in an effort to lessen the burning that quickly spread through her body. Sabo and Luffy were at her side in a heartbeat, each gently caressing her shoulders in an effort to calm her.

"What's wrong?" Sabo questioned, worry evident in his tone. Ann simply waved them off to assure them that she was fine.

"It's nothing—just a bit of pain from my injury."

Luffy pouted in concern. "You sure?"

She looked up at her little brother and forced a smiled, reaching out and rubbing the top of his head. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

* * *

As her brothers slept, Ann clenched her teeth in silent pain. The burning was getting worse. You would think that heat wouldn't bother her because of her Devil Fruit ability; while that was normally true, burning from injuries still affected her. She cursed inwardly, knowing that she lied to Marco when she left. Despite assuring him that she would be fine she was now folded tightly into the fetal position, attempting to wait out the white-hot agony that seared through her being. All she could think was that he was going to be pissed if he found out.

Ann opened her eyes and stared out the window at the moon from where she lay. As the bout of pain subsided she let out a sigh, knowing that another wave would arrive shortly. She hoped to fall asleep before then and, luckily enough, her eyelids felt heavy.

* * *

Ann's eyes peered open to the annoying morning light that seeped into the hideout. She blinked a few times before noticing that someone was staring at her. As her eyes adjusted she ran her gaze over the boy's features and registered him as Luffy, but his expression confused her; he looked like he was witness to something bizarre. What's worse was that the same expression dawned the face of her other brother as well. Still resting comfortably on the ground, she tilted her head and watched them.

"…Ann?" Sabo asked in disbelief.

That reaction worried her. He sounded like he wasn't sure of what he was saying and suddenly she felt her stomach tie into a knot.

"What is it?" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth her eyes widened tenfold. That wasn't her who spoke, was it? It couldn't be, could it? Was she sick? That had to be it—there was no way her voice was that low.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, it's short. Really short for me. Sorry bout that, just wanted to get the premise down. As stated before, this isn't a very long story. And as you may already expect, Ace will be a little OOC since he was originally a girl in this... Makes for lots of funny and awkward moments ;) But he'll start acting more like his lovable self as he adjusts to... this. Oh and some chapters may be rated M further on (nothing hardcore, I assure) just because of the changes e_e But I will warn you at the top of the chapter :D And it won't be for a while so don't worry. Umm... what else? I'm used to putting really long Author's Notes because of reviewers...**

**Oh yeah! Review and tell me if you want me to keep posting! I know it's a boring start but things will get interesting come the next chappy, kk? :D Ugh I'm so tired...**

**Well, I have nothing more to say. Hope this tides you over until I get my hand fixed. (I can't hold cups anymore ;_; Curse you, university art teachers! It better not be a permanent injury like the last time this happened in 2010...)**

**For the third time: tell me what you think ^^**


	2. This is the Beginning of Insanity

**Just a heads-up: I'm going to continue refering to Ann as a girl for the rest of the chapter because suddenly changing it when she realized she's a man would confuse people.**

**So we reached 15 reviews for the first chapter :D Not bad. So like I said, I'm posting chapter 2. I will decide whether or not to continue posting new chapter based on your responses after this. So far they're pretty good, though, so I'm not worried. Unless you all turn on me e_e**

**Warnings: Language (though I'm sure you know that by now...) and... umm... genderbend-ception... Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: *stares* My dog just dramatically fell onto the bed. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to that... Oh, right, don't own One Piece.**

* * *

"What is it?" a deep, male voice asked, shocking Ann to new levels. She may have felt the vibration in her throat when that was said but there was no way it was her that said it. So, in a bit of a daze, she slowly raised a hand to her throat and pressed it there as if to show her brothers her confusion.

The two boys shared a look, brows knitted together in thought, before they turned their attention back to the person before them.

"…You're Ann?" Sabo asked hesitantly. He never would have matched the person before him to his sworn sister had it not been for the hat that was tied to the person's neck.

Ann shot them a glare. "Who else would I be?" There it was again—that dark, masculine voice. Coming up with no better an explanation she decided that it had to be a symptom of a cold or some other ailment. Her throat didn't feel raw or sore but, really, there was no other reason for her to sound like that.

"…You're not serious, are you?" the blonde questioned, eyes wider than Ann had ever seen. That look was worrying her even more. She was scared. Just what had Sabo so shocked? Still, her annoyance was stronger than her concern and she scowled, sitting up from her place on the mat.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she shot sharply at the other.

Both boys gawked silently for a few seconds before scouring the hideout for something—Ann didn't know what. She didn't care, either. She was more focused on uncovering the reason for her discomfort when she sat up. Her body felt…tight. Different. Heavy.

First she stretched and found that her muscles moved more than they usually would. Curious, she pulled her arms into her line of vision. She gaped; her once thin, smooth limbs had been replaced with toned appendages that in no way resembled their former appearance. For a while she just sat there flexing her fingers, wondering if that was really her. Every time they moved she felt it. Everything they touched, she touched. They were hers and, yet, they were so foreign.

"What…" She couldn't seem to finish verbalizing the thought. Everything was so strange. She looked around the room and another abnormality came to her—her line of vision was higher. Even sitting she felt taller than she usually was. Just what the hell was going on?

Sabo noticed her quiet, unfinished question and rushed over. He placed a large, polished sheet of metal that he found lying around as spare material in front of her and watched her reaction. At first she just sat there, dumbfounded, wondering what she was staring at. Then she moved and noted the reflective surface with large eyes.

Staring back at her was a young adult—a _man_—with messy black waves and deep, dark eyes. Freckles adorned his face, sprawled out across his cheeks. He looked back at her with the same shocked expression she wore. And then it clicked. "That's…" She reached out a shaky arm to touch the metal surface and watched the man do the same, confirming her hypothesis. "…me?"

Sabo swallowed heavily and firmly nodded. She looked from the blonde back at her reflection and gently caressed her cheek. It felt different—rougher. Her jawline was more angular and cheekbone more prominent. It didn't feel like her, but it was.

"I'm…" And then it hit her even harder than before. As Sabo removed the metal sheet she frantically threw the sheets from her legs. Her eyes met the same musculature as they did with her arms; they were longer, thicker and more defined. And far less feminine. But that's not what worried her—no, her gaze was set on her waist and hips and the bulge under her black shorts that were now far too small for her. Her brain froze. After a moment of silent realization she shouted. "What the _fuck_ is _that_?" She knew what it was, though. Oh she knew far too well. What she _didn't_ know was why it was attached to her. She was a girl and, last she checked, people didn't change genders overnight.

Sabo turned away and an awkward blush graced his cheeks. "That's…"

"I know what it is, damn it!" she yelled, cutting him off before he had the chance to elaborate. Ann cupped her head in her hands and let out a deep, shuddering breath. "This can't be happening. This _cannot_ be happening." She felt a mental breakdown coming along—well deserved, at that. Her world was crashing down around her, all because of that sudden, unexplainable change.

Luffy interrupted her hyperventilating. "So are you, like, my brother now?"

Ann glared at him and saw him flinch. Sabo simply sighed, buried his face in his hand and shook his head. Only their little brother could say something like that in such a baffling situation. Only he could accept it without question. Ann didn't know whether she was thankful for that or not. It stopped her from passing out, at least.

Receiving no answer, the raven-haired boy assumed it was a 'yes' and crossed his arms, beginning to ponder something he found was of the utmost importance. "What do we call you?"

"…What?"

"Well we can't call you 'Ann' 'cause that's a girl's name and now you're a boy." Thank you for stating the obvious, Luffy. "So… Alex? Hmm…"

"Nah, it doesn't fit her—his—appearance," Sabo chimed, resigning himself to his little brother's thought process.

Ann's eye twitched. "…Are you seriously worrying about my name when I grew a fucking _penis_?" How could they just accept it? How could they accept that their sister turned into some muscular man overnight without so much as a warning? That was _not _something she was willing to believe. She lived her whole life as a girl and damn it she wasn't about to give everything up because of some nightmare like that. What's worse was that she didn't even recognize herself. Sure some things were the same—her hair and eye colour, freckles—but everything else was so different that it was like she was a completely different person. Before she was lean and thin—soft skin, delicate curves—with features she was fairly proud of. Now, however, she was boxy and jagged with muscles she never thought she would acquire and a completely flat chest. If she couldn't recognize herself then how could she ever hope to return to the Moby Dick?

What about Marco? What would he say? How could her lover even look at her when she was…like _that_?

Sabo sighed, snapping her out of her downward spiral. "Well it's not like there's anything else we can do. Unless you have an idea as to how you became a man we can't really look for a way to change you back. We don't even know if we _can_ change you back."

Ann hung her head low, shadowing her eyes under her dark locks. "…So you just accept it?"

The blonde's eyes softened and he knelt down, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Ann's head rose just enough for him to see her eyes and the frustrated tears that glossed them over. That surprised him; Ann _never_ cried. She never let anything get to her. She was strong and impenetrable and was as unmoving as a wall. Yet, despite that, she couldn't hold back her tears. It was only then that Sabo truly realized just how badly it was affecting her. If it was enough to make her cry then he had to take it seriously.

Despite how awkward it felt, he cupped the back of the freckled man's head and gently pulled him nearer. Ann's forehead came to rest on her brother's shoulder and she felt fingers soothingly rub against her dark strands. Sabo felt strange holding her like that—her appearance as a man was much taller and larger than him and Anne had to crouch a little to rest against his shoulder. Still, he didn't move. He felt bad and wanted to comfort her in any way possible.

"It's going to be okay."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, it is." He felt her breath hitch against him before two reluctant arms curved around his back and grasp tightly to the fabric of his shirt. "We're here for you, alright?" He felt her nod. They stayed like that until she calmed down and slowly pulled herself away from him. Sabo smiled softly when he noticed that her tears had faded.

Ann felt awkward to say the least. She had never cried in front of someone else before—no one except Marco. She always left for a secluded area where she could let out all of her frustrations in solitude but at that moment she was glad she didn't hide it. It felt nice to be comforted once in a while.

She was going to give him her thanks but her eyes shifted to something lying next to her on the ground. Studying it further she recognized it as the bikini top she was wearing before she went to sleep. It was thrown haphazardly, untied. It must have come off when the transformation occurred, seeing as she was now much larger than she was before. And then she noticed her bare chest. Her face welled up with red-hot embarrassment and she quickly threw her blanket around her in an attempt to hide herself. When she noticed the clueless looks her brothers were giving her she sent them a dark glower. "Perverts."

While Luffy didn't understand at all what she meant, Sabo clued in rather quickly and he gave her a strange look. "You're a man now—it's not like you have anything we haven't seen before."

"Not the point, asshole," she shot back, still too embarrassed to move the blanket away from herself.

Sabo rolled his eyes. _She may look like a guy but she's still a girl inside, huh?_

* * *

After locating a shirt and pair of shorts that fit her new body—which wasn't easy, seeing as she was larger than both of her brothers—the three were finally able to eat breakfast. Sabo simply watched in bewilderment as Luffy and his new brother devoured everything in their path. While Ann never had very good table manners, never before had she been able to keep up with Luffy's appetite. Yet there she was, effortlessly inhaling just as much food as the younger, leaving the blonde to gawk at the odd sight. What he found most interesting was that she didn't seem to notice that she was eating more than usual. It was… natural.

Luffy mumbled something incoherent between the pieces of meat in his mouth. When he noticed his siblings staring at him he swallowed and repeated himself. "What do we call Ann?"

"You're still on about that?" Sabo asked after neatly chewing his own morsel.

"I am _not_ changing my name," Ann stated firmly, grabbing another piece of the freshly cooked wild boar and tearing into it with her teeth.

Luffy pouted. "But you don't look like an 'Ann' anymore."

Ann pulled her mouth into a taut line, scowling at the younger. "Then what _do_ I look like?"

Luffy furrowed his brow in a look of deep concentration. He scanned his new brother's body before he grinned in his usual fashion. "You look cool!" While that wasn't what she was asking she still felt a slight heat rise to her cheeks. It was nice to receive a compliment about her new appearance; it cheered her up when everything else about the situation depressed her. At least there was one redeeming factor, right?

"…Really?" she asked with a slight upward curve of her lips.

"Yeah, _really_ cool!" Luffy stated, giving her one of his usual laughs when he noticed her 'funny' expression. Then his thoughts returned to their previous task of thinking up a name. "Aaron… Alik… Ace…"

Sabo's ears perked up at the last one. "Wait; I think that one fits."

"What one?"

"Ace." The two boys looked over at their brother and smiled.

Ann glared at the two of them from behind a piece of meat. "I told you that I'm not changing my name. End of discussion."

Sabo exhaled noisily but persisted. "Even if you don't want us to call you by a different name don't you think it would be useful to have one?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Well we know you as 'Ann', right?" She nodded. "We don't know how long this is going to last—it might be permanent. If you go around telling people you're Portgas D. Ann they're not going to take you seriously. I mean, look at you."

Ann looked down to her altered body and scowled; he had a point. Using a girl's name while looking the way she did would definitely lead to confusion and, worse than that, mockery. And Ann _hated_ being laughed at. So she heaved a heavy breath and nodded her acknowledgement.

"Fine. Ace… right?" Her brothers smiled at her in response.

* * *

Ann watched grimly as her dark strands fell in a scattered mess at her feet. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the gentle tugs on her hair. Sabo was cutting it down to a more appropriate length for a male, though he agreed to keep it as long as he could which was about shoulder-length. She agreed to it as her final resolution to her newfound form. She could complain and rant about not liking the situation she was put into but that wouldn't change anything. No matter how much she kicked or screamed she was stuck like that and she would try her best to accept it. But there was something more tugging at her heart than her simple outward appearance.

"What's wrong?" Sabo asked, kneading his fingers through her hair gently. She snapped back from her thoughts and lowered her head slightly. Should she tell him? She wanted to, knowing that he might be able to give her some comfort as he did before, but she was also scared to face the problem. After a short inward battle she resigned herself to explaining.

"I told you about Marco, right?"

Sabo froze and his face paled, knowing where the conversation was headed. He quickly righted himself and resumed his work on her hair, trying to occupy himself while she elaborated. He heard her sigh.

"How can I face him like _this_?" She gestured to her new form before the last of her energy was zapped from her body, the topic taking its toll on her. "It's not going to be the same, is it?"

Sabo breathed inwardly and thought for a moment. He pulled a section of her hair taut between his fingers as cut the ends, allowing more long strands to fall to the ground. "Probably not." He saw her shoulders sag. "But you shouldn't give up," he stated, wiping the dead hair from her neck.

"I'm a man, Sabo, and I know from first-hand experience that he is _very_ straight." At that point in their relationship, sex was no longer foreign. They'd slept together many times and she knew very well that he wasn't attracted to men.

"You're a man but you're still you," he began, cutting another section. "Besides, you weren't exactly the picture of femininity before."

"I'm being serious, jackass."

"So am I." Another clump of hair fell. And another. "I can't say that your relationship will be the same as before but if he really cared about you he'd accept it. Might not be a sexual thing but he shouldn't outright reject you."

Anne groaned and brushed her bangs from her face. "I hope your right."

"I'm always right—you should know that by now." She laughed and he smiled. "They're like family, right? If Luffy and I accept you then they should, too."

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, that's the start of the story. Like I said this'll be a short story, only 10-15 chapters. I'll post chapter 3 in a few days if it's being liked by you people. Update on my hand: still bad. I fact my whole body is sore. Try sitting in a wooden chair for five hours at a time for twenty hours in two days and you'll be sore too. Gah, I wish I could go to a spa ;_; I'm poor though. And I have a fucking midterm to study for! *mumbles incoherently* And I can't write because my typing is so slow so I can't work on my other stories but I've been getting non-stop ideas T^T It's not fair...**

**Anyways I hope you enjoyed! To all my new readers: welcome to hell! :D Sorry, just felt like saying that. I actually just hope that you like the story and that you get into it well enough to yell at Ann/Ace for been a goddam moron :D**

** Please leave a review (and offerings for my deceased arm)!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Son Goshen: Glomping is allowed so long as you avoid my arm :D I wasn't going to publish it but then my hand hurt and I didn't want reader-zombies to eat me when they realized I wasn't updating... Lol he'll be both tsudere and feminine so... Let's just say it'll be really odd :P I didn't? Oops. Yep, he's in 1-3 and then will come back around 7 or 8. Funny thing is that the awkwardness comes and goes and right when you think it's gone the next chapter will have it back ten-fold muahaha! Lol you fangirled? XD It's okay, it happens to the best of us. Funny thing is that my hand will get better regardless, it'll just be slower if I don't rest :P (I didn't rest. I tried doodling last night and let's just say my control is shit u_u Back to rehab!)**

**spoons-are-evil: Well he's still a bit of an ass :P But this one's niceer than the one from ****_Divide_****. I've read fics with genderbent Ace but I don't care for him as a girl :/ Though while writing this I started to like my version of Ann because she's just so dramatic sometimes XD And has very crude jokes. I'm normally fine with injury, but it's because I hurt my hand when I slammed it against a brick wall and then proceeded to make two 30x40 inch drawings for my drawing class before it healed... =_=; It's worth 20% of my final grade so I found it was more important than my hand...**

**Muffin: Mine too. I love MarcoAce, they're just so great! But the couple doesn't get enough love :( After writing the Sabo from my story ****_The Divide_**** I fell in love with writing him XD Though this one is less badass and more kind, but still fun! I will so long as the story gets good feedback! Thank you!**

**RoXaS707: Thanks! I'll try to take it easy!**

**samettikettu: Sadly I don't think it's possible for us to temporarily switch hands u_u Hehehe hope you start to like MarcoAce! I didn't at first but then I read ****_Forbidden Fruits_**** and, well, enough said. Glad you like my writing! Hope you like the story!**

**Portgas D. Paula: Hehe none taken, I love torturing the characters XD**

**azab: Well Ann/Ace is a boy now so you shouldn't have a problem. Here's an update!**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: I wasn't going to since it wasn't doing good in the poll but I hurt my hand and wanted to be able to update while I recover. Thanks! Hopefully it heals soon... Like by my midterm exam Friday...**

**alniyat: Yep! :D I'll continue it so long as it gets good feedback. Got up to chapter 6 already written! Well she'll be returning to the Moby Dick next chapter so you'll just have to wait and see ;) **

**zoey black: I'm glad you like :D **

**Anndschka: I'll continue so long as it gets positive feedback :) Thanks for the review~**

**Cyborgnetics: Well you don't really have to think of him as a girl since he's a boy for every other chapter... Well, hope you like it.**

**Starry Roses: Hehehe yes. But that's not important :P Their reactions are... interesting. Though at first everything's dramatic _;**

**WeissDragon: Her reaction took up most of the story XD But now that she's done freaking out we can get around to starting the story!**

**TheLegendoOfFangirl: Well he's still a bit of an ass :P Just not to the extent that ****_Divide_****!Sabo is. Thanks!**

**(It feels so weird to have such a short Author's Note XD I'm so used to spending like an hour replying to everyone hehe. It feels nice to start over though. And now I shall find something to do that doesn't involve my injury! Any ideas on what to do? Maybe I'll watch Let's Plays... Because I have nothing better to do that doesn't involve my hand. *pouts* So yeah! Review and stuffs! Adieu~)**


	3. And So I Return Awkwardly

**So in this chapter we start to refer to Ann as a boy :D In scene 4. I thought it would be weird to start the chapter off randomly calling 'Ann' by 'Ace' so basically she resigns to her fate muahaha.**

**Also the story's getting a decent amount of responses so I'll keep the story going for now. If I notice people are losing interest at some point I'll stop. Fair enough?**

**Hand Status: I can hold a pencil for a minute or so! ...Gonna be a while u_u;**

**Disclaimer: I own stupidity! I mean no! What? Gah, forget it. I'm sure you've figured out that I don't own One Piece by now.**

* * *

Having been a man from morning until nightfall, Ann came to the realization that many things were going to be awkward as she adjusted to the changes. The first was that she was taller than both Luffy and Sabo. While she was happy of that fact, she kept underestimating her height and bumped her head four or five times throughout the day. She'd been laughed at repeatedly by her brothers for her clumsiness and was getting pretty annoyed with it.

The second was that she had to adjust to everything involving her sex. That was the hard part. So, while preparing for a shower, she really did not feel comfortable with herself. It took everything she had to get through it without freaking out. Sure she saw naked men in the past but it wasn't the same when that man was _you_. She would have been amazed if she ever got used to it.

Ann sighed as she walked out into the main area of the hideout, towel hanging from her waist. After her earlier outburst she resigned herself to accept that hiding her chest was no longer necessary. Still wasn't comfortable, though.

She stretched and headed over to her brothers, collapsing lazily beside them. Yawning, she pulled some meat from the tray between them, ripped at it with her teeth and grabbed a bottle of booze. She couldn't hold her liquor well as a woman and doubted she'd do any better as a man but felt the buzz it gave her would help her deal with all of the stress she acquired. She spotted Sabo from the corner of her eye, his mouth curved into a wicked grin. Ann narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Nothing—just thinking that your appearance and personality finally fit," he teased.

She sent him a glare. "I don't know whether that's a compliment or an insult."

"Neither do I."

* * *

The two older brothers watched as Luffy set sail, waving at him from the same cliff he stood on three years before. It was strange for Ann, especially under the circumstances, to see her brother set off alone. But she was proud. They stared out, watching his tiny ship vanish over the horizon, smiling all-the-while.

Sabo turned to her, his eyes showing a bit of concern. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

Ann shook her head, still smiling. "Nah, I'll be fine. Gotta get used to this, right?"

"What's your plan?"

"Well…" She scratched her head. Ann wasn't one for plans. She worked on impulse. Maybe she _was_ better suited to be a man. "Just get back to the ship and tell them, I guess."

"Not much of a plan."

"Shut up. Why do I need a plan for telling the crew I'm 'Ann' anyways? It's fine, isn't it?"

"Right, perfectly fine. Just tell them that as they make up assumptions as to why some strange man has their crewmate's belongings."

Ann's eyebrow twitched. "…You have a point."

"Always do."

"Then what should I do?"

"Hide your things until you can explain it to them; that way you can avoid any misunderstandings."

She sighed and, as much as she hated to admit it, knew he was right. It wouldn't look too good if she showed up wearing her hat and other trademark items. Her bag was generic enough for her to explain, but the hat and beads? No, that wouldn't slide. They were very personal items, after all; one she got as a going-away present from Luffy and the other was a gift from Dadan. So she listened and reluctantly removed the items and hid them away inside the black and green bag she brought with her.

They headed down to the village docks and prepared to leave, each going their own separate ways.

"You _sure_ you're going to be alright?"

"Damn it, Sabo, for the last time, _yes_."

"I'm just worried about you, you know." The blonde pulled out a small, folded sheet of paper and handed it to Ann. She stared at it inquisitively. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

He smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm just looking out for my brother." Ann shot him a look, glaring at his amused expression. She really wasn't getting used to being referred to as a man and he was just teasing her with it. "Well, I'll be off. See you soon, _Ace_."

With that the two set off in different directions. Ann took a deep breath to prepare for the journey ahead. From then on out she was going to have to live as a man, whether she liked it or not. And she didn't, of course, but was sure she would get used to it eventually. After all, Sabo said so last night—male or female, she was still the same person. That would never change.

* * *

Marco sat scowling on the deck, his usual calm overrun by worry and fear. His lover had been gone for three weeks and there hadn't been so much as a single sign that she was okay. There wasn't anything that said otherwise, either; she wasn't in the papers and hadn't been caught by the Marines. Normally she would have called to assure him that she was fine, but she didn't. What's worse was that, along with a first-aid kit, she forgot her baby den den mushi. That meant that Marco had no way of contacting her. That was _not_ helping with his anxiety.

To make matters worse, someone had called his personal line a week and a half earlier. He picked it up immediately in the hope that it was Ann but when he did so he was greeted by silence before the line was abruptly cut off. It was unnerving to say the least and he couldn't help but wonder who it was on the other side. A part of him thought it might have been his girlfriend calling for help but unable to speak. He knew he was overreacting but couldn't help himself—she never went that long without contacting him.

"Still there?" Thatch asked no one in particular as he looked over the Moby Dick's rail.

Marco's ears perked up at that and he raised himself to his feet, stumbling over to his friend with curiosity. "What is it yoi?"

Thatch pointed out at the sea behind the ship as he leant over the rail. The blonde quirked an eyebrow and spotted a small boat trailing them in the distance. He couldn't make out any of the details and wasn't sure what the commander found so interesting. "I saw it earlier and thought we were just heading in the same direction, but it's been hours and it's still following us."

"Strange."

"Yeah. And it's maintained that distance. Kinda feels like we've got a stalker."

"Any idea who it is yoi?"

"Nah; too far to tell. But…"

"What?"

"The boat kind of looks like Striker, doesn't it?"

Marco's eyes widened and he took a good, hard look at the vessel pursuing them. Thatch was right; it resembled Striker a lot from what he could tell, being so far away. Suddenly he felt newfound hope build up within him. Without another word he rushed down the stairs to the lower deck and dashed into Whitebeard's office. The old man looked at him with amused eyes—it was rare for his first mate to be so frantic.

"What is it, Marco?" he asked in a big, booming voice.

"Oyaji, permission to stop the ship yoi."

"Why?"

"There's a boat following us. I think it might be Striker yoi."

Whitebeard gave the blonde an inquisitive look. Striker was able to easily catch up to the Moby Dick so there was no real reason to stop. Still, the pleading look in the commander's eyes was worrying and so he nodded his head, giving his consent. Though he didn't smile, Whitebeard could see Marco's face brighten before he gave his thanks and left the room. The blonde had been so out of it since Ann left that he was growing concerned. He only hoped that Marco's guess was right and that their female commander was returning home.

* * *

Ace stared off into the distance half-dazed. When he set off two weeks ago he realized that he never bothered to ask where his crew was headed and the long, arduous task of tracking down the Moby Dick began. It was a seemingly endless, boring journey and angered him to no end. It got to the point where he called Marco absentmindedly when he stopped at an island not long after he set out. He planned on telling the blonde that he was okay and asking what the ship's coordinates were but as soon as he heard his voice his heart sank. It was only then, when Marco was on the line, that he realized he wouldn't recognize his voice. He remained silent—shocked at his own stupidity—until Marco asked if it was 'Ann' he was speaking to. He hung up.

After that depressing event Ace resigned himself to searching for the ship alone. He knew they would be in the first half of the New World and searched there. Finally a few hours earlier he came across it and was ready to sail beside it and reunite with his family. But then he got worried. He was scared of how they might react to his new appearance. He was scared of what Marco would think of him when he saw.

He stayed back and followed, trying to sort himself out. But that didn't last long—while Striker continued on its path, the Moby Dick stopped. They were waiting for him. He decided to man-up, seeing as he _was_ a man now, and continued up to the ship. A rope ladder was thrown down. _This is it_. He took a deep, inward breath and picked up his black and green bag, hauling it over his shoulder before he pulled himself up the side of the massive vessel. One more step to go. He exhaled before dragging himself over the rail, met with at least a dozen familiar faces.

He looked the deck over and noticed that there weren't as many men on board as there usually were—probably out doing something for Oyaji, he surmised. It wasn't long before he noticed their stern, cautious expressions and he felt his body grow heavy under the knowledge that they didn't recognise him, just as he feared.

"Hey," he greeted quietly, raising his hand in a mock salute. The crew's eyes narrowed further, distrust apparent in each of their stances.

"Who are you yoi?"

Ace's heart froze momentarily as he took in the voice. His eyes went wide as he turned his head to see a rather irate blonde. If the circumstances were different he would have ran up to Marco and embraced him as he always did when he was 'Ann', kissing him and urging him to their shared bedroom so that they could talk and catch up… maybe do some other things. Unfortunately those actions were highly inappropriate in his current situation and he just stood there blankly.

Marco scowled, glaring the man down with his arms crossed. Never before had he felt such crushing disappointment as when he saw it wasn't his lover who arrived onboard. He was a tall individual with dark eyes and childish freckles scattered about his cheeks. Black waves hung about his face and, in some strange sense, he looked familiar. He appeared to be strong, if his muscles were any indication, but wasn't overly bulky like most pirates. And he looked scared. He should have been; Marco was in a _terrible_ mood and while he was usually passive he felt like he wanted to tear someone's head off.

"I'm, uh…" Crap. Ace was starting to realize why Sabo had suggested he plan out his introduction—he had _nothing_ to say. He couldn't just blurt it out, right? They wouldn't believe him! 'Hey it's me, Anne. Got changed into a man, not sure how. Continue with whatever you were doing.' That would never work. And he wasn't sure he wanted to tell them in the first place. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Marco's eyes when he found out. "I'm here to see Whitebeard," he stated firmly, catching himself before he called the man 'Oyaji' like he was used to.

"Why?"

"I have something to tell him. It's, uh, kind of important." Ace noticed that his crewmates were more suspicious than before. He really should have thought of something a little more tactful to say but his mind was drawing a blank. He felt like curling up into a ball and pretending none of that was happening.

"We can't just _let_ you see Oyaji, kid," Thatch interrupted, folding his arms in a similar fashion to the first mate. "For all we know you could be after his head."

Shit. Why were they suddenly so guarded? When he first arrived on the Moby Dick as 'Ann' he was openly allowed around the old man despite his daily assassination attempts. What changed? Was it because he was a boy now? Or was it because they didn't know his skill level? Did he look strong? "I won't try anything."

"We don't know that yoi. You haven't told us your name yet, either."

He knew why they wanted his name—if they recognized it they could tell whether he was a threat or not. But they wouldn't, he knew, because 'Ace' hadn't existed until two weeks ago. "It's Ace."

"Ace…?" Thatch repeated, gesturing for him to continue.

He bit his lip. Couldn't call himself Portgas D. Ace, could he? That would raise too many questions. So what did he call himself? Well, he didn't like what he came up with. He never wanted to take that bastard's name. But did he have a choice?

"Gol D. Ace."

The deck fell completely still. All eyes were on him now, staring in shock and disbelief. Only Whitebeard knew that Portgas D. Ann was the child of the Pirate King. He had never gotten around to telling anyone else—not even Marco. Right then he was glad he didn't; he wasn't prepared to face the blonde as he was.

Marco scrutinized the man who claimed to be Gold Roger's son. After eyeing him for a few moments he started seeing similarities between that boy and the fallen pirate. They looked alike, at least. Most of the crew would turn the kid down after stating that. They saw Roger as being Oyaji's deceased enemy. But Marco knew differently. He knew that, despite their rivalry, the two also held a great respect for one another. While that had nothing to do with the boy, Ace, who stood before him, he felt inclined to allow the meeting. Even if something _did_ happen, he knew the old man would be able to take care of it. "Follow me," he commanded, retaining his scowl as he turned on his heel and headed to his captain's office.

"O-oi, you can't be serious!" Thatch shouted as he watched the stranger trail behind the first mate. The blonde ignored him and the rest of the crew gawked as they walked away.

They arrived at Whitebeard's room and Marco opened the door without knocking. "Oyaji, you have a visitor."

The captain grunted. "Who is it?"

"Claims to be Roger's son yoi."

Whitebeard's eyes narrowed on the young boy who entered the room, analyzing his appearance. As far as he knew, Ann was the only child Roger had. Not only that but, based on his appearance, he would have been the same age as the second division commander, but Ann didn't have a twin. And, though subtle, there were similarities between the two. The boy's nervous eyes met his before he bowed his greeting and Whitebeard turned back to Marco. "Leave us."

Marco was surprised at that but quickly left the room and closed the door, heading back to his regular position on deck.

"What's this about?" Oyaji asked, his voice stern and powerful.

Ace shifted a bit as he thought. He knew he had to tell Whitebeard even if he hid it from everyone else. "I, uh… It's me, Oyaji." Whitebeard quirked an eyebrow when he heard the title that the boy used and motioned for him to continue. "Ann."

The old man narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, studying the man who claimed to be his daughter. He looked worried and scared, but not because of the Yonko's stature or title. He recognized the look from when Ann told him about her lineage; the boy was scared of being rejected. That expression in itself was enough for him to believe his claim. "What happened?"

Ace's eyes widened and he came to abruptly face his captain, shocked that he didn't protest his identity. Tears of relief pricked at his eyes but he didn't let them fall and instead readied himself to reply. Damn, he'd done far too much crying as a man. "I don't know. I just… woke up like this two weeks ago when I was with my brothers."

"I see. Have you told the crew?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I'm ready to face them yet. I thought I'd tell you first."

Whitebeard smiled down at the boy and reached over to ruffle his hair. The touch was soothing and before long silent streams of tears made their way down Ace's face. He was just so relieved that the man he called 'Father' accepted him, despite the change. He reached up and held the massive hand in both of his own, as proof that his response was real.

"It's alright, child."

"…You believe me?"

"Of course, my boy. I've seen far stranger things over the years."

"…Thanks, Oyaji."

After a few minutes of quiet Ace's tears dried just in time for them to hear a knock on the door. Marco entered once more, being sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened while he was gone. Whitebeard's gaze went from Ace to his first mate. "Marco, see to it that he's properly taken care of."

"What?"

"He's your new brother; I expect you to treat him well."

Both sets of eyes widened at they realized what he said—Marco wondering how the boy managed to join the crew so quickly and Ace shocked that Whitebeard was allowing him to keep the situation a secret. The old man knew of his relations with Marco yet still allowed him the selfish desire of keeping his identity hidden. He silently thanked the Yonko once more, trying to properly express his gratitude.

Marco eyed the boy warily. Something wasn't right about the whole situation and he didn't like it. He wasn't sure he could just accept the kid as one of his own, either, seeing how strange his appearance had been. He would keep an eye on him, just in case.

* * *

**A/N: And the awkwardness begins. Not much to say here... Umm... Damn, normally I go off on a tangent in the Author's Note but I can't really think of anything... Damn.**

**Question: Is the the first story of mine you've read or are you a veteran?**

**To my lovelies~**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe sorry. I have up to chapter 6 written out so I figured I'd update quickly. Going to slow down after this chapter though. I'm resting as much as I can during midterms :) But anyways, hope you enjoy~**

**RoXaS707: A few of your questions were answered this chapter and the rest you'll have to wait for :P**

**Portgas D. Paula: Yeah, I'd probably have a panic attack if that happened to me, especially if I had a boyfriend who wasn't bi XD Marco's reaction is... confusing. Thanks!**

**Cyborgnetics: Don't worry, he'll act like the Ace you know a good portion of the time. Though... feminine, which will be amusing :P Yeah that is lucky. But, well, Marco... ah, you'll just have to wait and see.**

**Son Goshen: Really? I find her reaction perfectly natural :P I mean she won't be recognized by her crew and her boyfriend is very straight and likely to reject her, not to mention waking up as the opposing gender is enough to cause anyone to freak out (even if you don't think you would, the same would happen) and I think she did pretty good for freaking out for only 10min or so ;) You're laughing at her pain, you evil person XD Most reviewers were like "poor Ann" and then you come in laughing... priceless. My hand's rested long enough =3=**

**Weiss Dragon: Hehe glad you liked it! Thanks!**

**alniyat: Well I suppose 30 reviews for the first two chapters is decent enough :) People don't like genderbenders much though, so... Nope, not easy. At first it looks like it's going to be easy but then... Well, you'll see. Lol I would too. I would convince myself it was all a dream. Or hide in some random person's closet. The end's been decided, but I won't say :P And yes, that is the reason for the change. It's not very important but I needed some sort of reason for it, you know? And Iva-chan was the most obvious cause.**

**mamc97nolongeranonymous: You'll see eventually.**

**azab: Well he's a boy now, so... Wait and see.**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Lol so would I XD Or go into denial. Marco's reaction has a few stages. You'll see what I mean later on ;) Awe you're so sweet. I'm glad you like my stories! I'd like to update the others but I have to wait for my hand to heal and for midterms to end =_=;**

**ApplesOranges: Yeah, many people don't like genderbenders. I actually didn't like writing Ace as Ann before but she grew on me :D I hope they get better soon too T^T**

**Sealing Mistress: Hehehe I'm glad you liked that part XD It was my favourite to write. Marco's reaction will have several stages... I can't say any more without giving it away but it's... interesting. To be perfectly honest I always feel like dropping ****_Skip_**** hehe... But I won't, because that wouldn't be fair to the readers. Luckily many of my stories are fairly short so it won't be too hard to finish them. This one will be VERY short, so will ****_Skip_****, ****_Reverse_**** and ****_Imagined Life_**** (when I get far enough to post it) so the only long ones I have are ****_The Divide_**** and ****_A Pirate's Resolve_****. And random oneshots. Gotta love the random oneshots. But yeah, I am able to keep it up because I know that they're not that long :D Though now I can't write anything because of my stupid hand...**

**Haruka-desu: I'm glad you do :) Hehe I wouldn't say I'm a genius, just a university student with a fucked up imagination.**

**spoons-are-evil: Hehe yeah, you gotta love Luffy for that XD Yeah, Sabo is eerily nice in this story, isn't he? Makes me think he's up to something because I'm so used to writing his witty banter in ****_Divide_**** e_e; Lol actually I agree with that, he acted a bit like a mother... Gotta love that connection :P I know, isn't it messed up?! My Author's Notes are supposed to be like 1000 words long! It's unnatural! Even this one is really short! It feel's wrong e_e It's okay, I'm just happy you reviewed at all ^^**

**(So that's it with this update! Tell me what you think and all that jazz. Note to self: never say that again. I took a 7 hour 'nap' this afternoon so I'm not going to sleep at all tonight o.o I'm going to be so tired for class tomorrow... And I'm drinking caffiene! I'm so fucking smart! Well, my mini-rant's over. Please review! Adieu~)**


	4. Discoveries!

**So here's the 4th chapter~ I'll be slowing down after this, by the way. Oh and there's a question for you guys in the Author's Notw at the bottom. So review and answer that please~**

* * *

Ace couldn't help the nervous blush that appeared on his face when he noticed Marco—once _his_ Marco—giving him harsh glares as they walked beside each other. Just as Oyaji had asked of him, the blonde was showing him around. He already knew where everything was, of course, but couldn't say anything without revealing himself. He was well aware that at some point he would have to tell the phoenix the truth but for the time he was content with waiting it out. He wasn't ready to see how Marco would react to that.

They stopped at the galley. As if on cue, Ace's stomach growled fiercely, demanding to be fed. Since his gender change he'd noticed that his appetite increased immensely. He couldn't fit many provisions on Striker so he hadn't had a proper meal since his last island stop half a week earlier. Marco heard the sound and turned to him, looking him over. He looked away awkwardly. "S-sorry about that."

"Hungry yoi?"

Ace blinked. With his bad mood he was sure the blonde would rather him starve—he didn't seem to care about anyone at the moment, for one reason or another. "A little, I guess."

Marco nodded and ushered him into the mess hall where he was greeted by the chefs' usual spread. Though lunch had long passed the food was kept out for the cooks themselves to eat, as well as any stragglers. Ace usually had narcoleptic fits around noon so he ate with Thatch and Marco, who were both busy during the regular lunch hour.

While the freckled boy headed over to the buffet, the blonde searched around the room and located his friend. He shuffled over to the table and sat down with him, checking on the strange boy every once in a while.

"Why's the kid here?" Thatch asked from between bites, watching the blonde inquisitively.

"I'm not sure what happened but Oyaji had him join the crew yoi," Marco replied, taking a cup of tea that was offered to him.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. He had me show him around. Don't know where he's going to sleep, though."

"Oh yeah—no vacant rooms, huh?"

Marco let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "I have no idea where Oyaji expects us to put him."

"It's okay—I'll just sleep on deck," a young voice chimed. The pair looked to see Ace approaching with a tray that had a pile of food on it. He took a seat at the far end of the same table in order to give the two some space; he was just a stranger to them, after all.

"…You're going to eat all of that?" Thatch questioned as both his and Marco's faces paled at the thought. Never before had they seen a member of their crew eat that much before.

Ace smiled sheepishly when he noticed their stares. "…Yeah." Was it really that weird?

Thatch whistled. "That's some appetite you have."

The freckled boy sighed and picked up his utensils. "It wasn't this bad before but after the—" He stopped himself before he could mention the gender change. When he noticed the inquisitive looks he was getting he looked down at his meal, worry evident on his face. "It's nothing; never mind." Before they had the chance to press him for an explanation he began shoving food into the black hole under his nose. They just watched, blinking in surprise as he began devouring everything on his tray.

Eventually, as he reached the last portion of food, he began to slow down. Thatch decided it best to become acquainted with his new 'brother'. "So what made you want to join us?" That question had been bothering him since Marco explained the situation.

_I was already a part of the crew._ "I admire Oyaji." Well, it wasn't an outright lie; he looked up to Whitebeard more than anyone else and a big part of the reason 'Ann' joined was because she had accumulated unyielding respect for the old man.

Both commanders smiled at that. But still, they wanted more of an answer. "That's it, yoi?" Marco asked, sipping at his tea.

"More or less."

"What were you doing before this? Did you have a crew of your own?" The fourth division commander had taken a liking to him for one reason or another. He didn't seem so bad and if the old man trusted him enough to let him join the crew then there was nothing to worry about.

_I was searching for this goddam ship because you assholes couldn't be bothered to sail in a coherent path. Seriously, who was plotting the fucking course?_ "Nah, I was alone."

"Alone in the New World? You've got balls, kid!" Thatch said jokingly while patting the younger on the back.

Ace's eyes narrowed. _Yes, I do. That's the problem._

Just then Marco stood from his seat, holding the cup lazily with his index finger and thumb. Thatch's comment reminded him that Anne still hadn't contacted him—she was somewhere alone that he was unaware of—and his scowl from earlier returned along with his worries. He looked to his friend. "Can you finish showing him around yoi? I'm going to do some work."

Ace stared at him curiously; the blonde was lying, he knew, but why?

"Yeah, sure." They watched the first mate file out of the mess hall before turning back to each other. "Sorry, he's in a bad mood."

"Why?"

Thatch sighed and leaned on the table for support. "His girl left a few weeks ago and hasn't contacted us. He's worried about her."

Ace felt his heart sink. It was his fault he was so bitter? He didn't realize how troubled Marco got when he was gone. Was he usually that upset? The feeling only deepened when he realized that 'Ann' might never return. And Marco would be left waiting. He resigned then to confess the truth once he finished adjusting. He couldn't just leave him like that.

"Hope you don't mind hanging around me for a while."

The freckled boy smiled. "Not at all."

* * *

After his tour finished, Ace was able to take a shower. He stepped into the bathroom and hurriedly removed his shirt—damn thing was too constricting. He wasn't used to wearing a regular shirt, seeing as he usually wanted to show off his back and Whitebeard's mark as much as possible. Now, however, that tattoo of his had to be hidden. Though every member of the crew had that mark or a simplified version—like Marco's—somewhere on their bodies, Ann was the only one to get it so large on her back. If anyone saw it they would immediately be able to connect the dots and he wanted to finish getting used to his new body and lifestyle before that happened. He made a mental note to thank Sabo for getting him some clothes. Really, his brother was too kind to him.

After slipping off his shorts and boxers he turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. As he did so he stared at himself in the mirror on the wall. It was so damn strange! He didn't know if he'd ever get used to seeing his masculine reflection, no matter how long that male appearance lasted. The person staring backed looked so foreign and unfamiliar that sometimes it felt as though he wasn't looking at himself.

He stepped into the shower and felt hot streaks of water slide down his body. For a while he just stood there with his eyes closed, taking in the comforting heat. He had not gotten to bathe since his stop at the last island and in all honesty he felt disgusting. Sure he had been in that situation many times before when he went out on missions but his female body didn't seem to get as dirty. He knew that made no sense—that he was probably imagining it because he hated the state he was in—but the thought wouldn't leave his mind. The water washed all the grease and grime from his body, though, and he felt infinitely better.

Once his desire for relaxation was filled he washed his hair and then his upper body but grimaced when he came to his nether regions. That damn thing between his legs made the whole experience turn sour. It was too fucking sensitive for his taste. Really, being a man was a lot more complex than he first thought.

Finally he finished cleaning himself and once more allowed the water to cascade across his skin, gently washing away all of the soap and dirt from his form. He felt clean again for the first time in almost five days and his mood brightened at that. He turned off the water and began looking for something to dry himself off with.

Suddenly the doorknob creaked. Before he even had a chance to turn around the door flung open, revealing an energetic redhead. "Ace, I brought you a towel—" He froze in his speech, gawking blankly at the naked man before him—or, more specifically, what he saw on his back.

Ace instinctively moved to cover himself as he would have in his female form, glaring darkly at the man a few feet away as his face flushed with embarrassment. When he saw that the man was dumbstruck he turned a bit and looked him dead-on, arms still crossed shyly over his front. "_Get out_," he ordered viciously.

"Ah, r-right. Sorry." With that, Thatch dropped the towel and quickly scurried out of the room, leaning against the wall in the hallway with large eyes. He didn't expect Ace to be so shy but, more than that, he didn't expect him to already have that mark, and certainly not in the same place as one of his closest friends.

Ace slid slowly down the bathroom wall and snatched the white cloth from the floor, wrapping it around his body. It was only after that event that he realized his tattoo was clearly visible to the intruder. No doubt that was the reason Thatch froze in place. He knew. He knew and there was nothing Ace could do about it. Once he was dressed he would have to face reality. Again, his world came crashing to his feet.

He took a deep breath and resigned himself to drying off in an attempt to get his mind off of that little incident. After the water was removed from his skin he began dressing in yet another ensemble Sabo had prepared to him. He mouth curved into a slight grin as he recalled his brother's kindness and knew that, even if things didn't work out with the crew, he at least had him and Luffy who cared.

Ace knew perfectly well that his mates wouldn't reject him—they weren't so shallow. Each and every one of them was an important family member and accepted each other for who they were. However, he knew that things would be different when they found out. That scared him. He didn't like change. But it appeared his time was running out. No doubt Thatch would demand and explanation and proceed to tell everyone aboard that 'Ann' became 'Ace'.

When he exited the bathroom Thatch was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, waiting just as he expected. The older man noticed him and turned his head, eyes filled with contemplation.

"I'd like an explanation, if you don't mind."

* * *

The two found themselves in Thatch's room, seeing as it was the only place they were guaranteed any privacy. The man motioned Ace to sit next to him and he complied. For a while they just sat there in silence, absorbed in their thoughts.

"I saw your tattoo," the redhead announced calmly, noting that the boy flinched when he said that. "Mind explaining that to me?"

Ace looked at his friend nervously. He'd never seen him so serious before. No doubt he was concerned—rightfully so. After all, people didn't just 'show up' with Whitebeard's symbol before joining the crew and it was obvious that he didn't get it during the day. He inhaled deeply to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"I've…kind of been lying to you."

"About what?" His tone took on a suspicious nature and he eyed the boy wearily as he bent down and shuffled through his green and black bag. His eyes widened when the kid removed an all too familiar orange hat. "That's…"

Ace nodded shyly and handed him the hat so that he could inspect it further. He watched as the older man looked it over, feeling the material beneath the pads of his fingers.

"Where did you get this?" His voice was becoming more frantic as thoughts of his friend being hurt or worse danced through his mind.

"It's mine," Ace replied, swallowing heavily. He was worried about how the redhead would react to that.

"No it's not, it's—" Thatch stopped himself as his train of thought shifted and his eyes enlarged as he connected the dots. But he couldn't believe it. "What are you trying to say?"

"It belongs to me, Thatch."

And then Thatch realized something; he never told Ace his name. He slowly moved to fully face the young man, getting a closer look at his features. He registered the wavy hair, dark eyes and freckled cheeks. And the look of guilt he wore. Slowly, hesitantly, he raised his hands to caress the boy's shoulders, scrutinizing his appearance further. Then he paused. "…Ann?"

Ace gave a slight, shy nod. That reaction worried him because of the doubt on the redhead's face. He hated having to re-introduce himself to someone he'd known for two years. He hated that his crewmates didn't recognize him—especially Thatch and Marco. They were the closest family he had, right alongside Sabo and Luffy. It hurt.

"It's really you? I-I mean, you're…"

"…Yeah, Thatch; it's me." He prepared himself for the questions that were sure to follow. What he didn't expect was being wrapped into a tight embrace by a broad pair of arms. His eyes doubled in size and he blinked, not fully realizing what was going on. "…Thatch?"

"We were so worried," he said from where his head was placed at Ace's side. He snapped to his senses and returned the hug. "What happened to you?"

"I-I don't really know. I woke up like this," he explained, still trying to take in his friend's actions.

"…Why didn't you tell us?"

Ace fell silent, fumbling with his words mentally. "…I was scared."

Thatch broke the hug and stared at the younger male inquisitively in an attempt to understand what he was trying to say. "Scared of what?"

The freckled youth looked away, his dark eyes meeting his lap. "…Of how you would react."

The cook sighed. He understood where he was coming from; it must have been hard to tell just him, let alone everyone else. And he knew that the boy's greatest fear lay with a certain tired-looking blonde. He must have worried himself into exhaustion over what his lover would think when his girlfriend returned as a man. "You don't want to tell them, do you?"

Ace shook his head. "Not yet. Soon, though—once I get used to it."

"Alright, then I won't tell."

The boy looked up at the redhead with hopeful eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah, I promise." He smiled, ruffling the boy's hair in an attempt to comfort him. "Just try not to take too long, alright? I don't know how much longer Marco will hold up."

"What do you mean?"

Thatch's features darkened into a grimace. He was really starting to worry about the first mate. He wasn't sleeping properly, nor was he eating a sufficient amount of food. All day he would just wait for Ann's return, hoping that she was safe. Phoenix or not, it was starting to take a toll on his health. "He's got it in his head that you're hurt somewhere. Or dead."

Ace's mouth gaped at that and he furrowed his brows in deep concern. "Why would he think that?"

"You've never went this long without contacting him. He thinks that means something bad happened."

The boy felt his guilt rise to new heights. The man he loved was in a worry-ridden state because of him—because he was too scared to say anything. "I-I tried a few weeks ago, but… I knew he wouldn't recognize my voice." He paused and gawked at the orange hat that was haphazardly thrown on the bed. "How bad is he?"

"He doesn't eat much unless I force it down his throat and if he doesn't get some rest he might collapse. He's not really thinking straight."

"Damn it, Marco, why do you have to be so stupid?" he mumbled, clearly distraught.

"He really cares about you, you know. A lot more than you realize."

"…What do you mean?"

Thatch scratched his head, contemplating whether or not to explain. He knew Marco would hate him if he said anything but, really, what did it matter at that point? "He was planning to propose when you got back."

* * *

**A/N: So now to explain a few things~ Well I based Marco's reaction to his worries that Ann is missing (not eating or sleeping properly) on real-life symptoms people experience when something like that happens. As a psychology major we get to learn in detail all of the things that stress and fear can do to a person, but I kept it simple. I took into account that Marco was used to his comrades being gone and kept it simple, though, with only the most fundimental symptoms. After all, even pirates would worry when their friends and loved ones go out on their own and don't come back, right? And I've always pictured Thatch as a really nice guy (who is also an ass that likes to joke at other people's expenses, prank his mates, especially Marco, and just be an annoyance to everyone :P That side of him will be shown more in future chapters though) who cares a lot about his crewmates and figured that was the best way for him to react. Besides, Ace needs a buddy, right? ;) For now... And lastly, I put the 'propose' bit in because it was the best way to convey how serious Marco was to Ace (and make him feel even more upset apparently :P) because, well, I needed that for...things to happen.**

**Hand Status: I can pick up a pencil :D Maybe in a few days I'll be able to start typing with it (though they're some permanent control loss as I feared... So much for my art career =_=; Oh well) which is great because typing with only my left is very tiring.**

**Question: If this became an M-rated fic, would you still read it? If so, would there be a point where it would be too much? There are some sexual scenes later in the story that I feel have to be put in but I'm still debating on whether to make them suggestive or explicit. I kinda wanna try my hand at explicit content since I've never done it but it would suck if you guys didn't want to finish reading the story because of that :/ Of course if I do I'd put a warning at the top of any chapter with mature content and would tell you what scene so you could avoid it but... Just tell me what you think, okay?**

**To my lovelies~**

**Sealing Mistress: You're too sweet XD Hehe it seems that most of the people who answered the question are veterans. I knew you were, it's just I got some users I'd never seen and just wanted to know if they were new to my fics or just never reviewed before :P Wow you're one of the few people who said that ;_; Most people to man lots of long updates...ugh.**

**RoXaS707: Hehe really? I thought the end was pretty tame. Yeah, gotta love Whitebeard XD He's so...awesome. The only person that can put up with Ace! Yep, I know you are ;)**

**alniyat: Well... You know how Thatch finds out, at least XD Hehe so you read those two? Interesting... Though everyone reads ****_Skip_**** =_=; Really don't enjoy writing that very often... But you haven't touched my two most reviewed stories which is interesting... I like it! :D Yep, I have quite a few MarcoAce fics planned :) And AceLu. But I can't get to them until stupid ****_Skip_**** and ****_Reverse_**** are finished! DX Well it'll get mostly better...not fully ^^;**

**azab: Ace was always Ace, just a different gender o.o I don't think gender matters that much...**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Hehe maybe you should wait until after school to read fanfiction from now on :P Glad you enjoyed~**

**Portgas D. Paula: Here's an update.**

**WeissDragon: Yay you've read them all~ That's awesome XD Hehe I've read fics on the bus and done the same... Got lots of weird looks :P And you're welcome~**

**mrsfirefist: I love you too! :D**

**Terrie1234: A veteran is a person who has long/a lot of experience in something. In this case, reading my fanfics. Thanks!**

**Sven-Churlinov: Don't bother asking me to updates quickly because I only do it at my pace hehe :P Too busy plus my hand is hurt. You'll have to wait and find out. I don't answer questions that lead to spoilers and I don't like to rush things :/**

**Cyborgnetics: Hehe yes that was fun to write XD I'm not dropping it but I've lost a lot of my enthusiasm while writing it because of the reviewers who are like "Where's the update?!" and "Update quickly and make the chapters longer!" which really deterred me and now it's just hard to actually want to write it. It seems to have the worst fanbase out of all of my stories so I just don't like working on it.**

**Guest: Yes, he should have XD But he's an idiot so... Nah, he's not going to last long enough for Luffy's first bounty, I can tell you that now :P Though it would be funny if he did...**

**RexLink: It's okay, I'm just happy you reviewed at all ^^ Lol and she did it yet again this chapter :P If you like this couple then you should try ****_Forbidden Fruits, So I Can be the Snake, Nightmare of Love, Bleeding Out _****and... Well there are others but I can't think of them right now ^^; Although most of those have M-rated content... Or all of them... Thanks!**

**Son Goshen: Well I figured Ann would have told Marco and Thatch her brothers' names so Ace calling himself "Monkey" would have led to them realizing so I thought "Gol" was more appropriate. Actually that would make an interesting bonus... Showing all of the weird things that Whitebeard saw over the years XD I mean if it's all stranger than a gender change it might be pretty interesting :P You know Ace... Not very tactful :P Too bad the story's so short, I could have done a lot with it... Yes, you're strange but that's what I love about you XD You brighten my day with your weirdness.**

**Solace in the Chaos: Genderbenders can be pretty great if you give them a shot. Glad you liked this one :) I was actually thinking of doing an alternate version to this during the summer break that starts out the same but changes drastically when Ace gets back to the ship... Meh, we'll see. I would also do a lot more than cry in that situation :P I think there's only one more scene where he cries throughout this story though, and that's when... I won't say. But he's drunk so it's okay :P Lol you say she's sexier as a man but that's probably because you're attracted to men XD A guy would have a very different view of the matter... To be honest I didn't like Ace as a girl at first either but once I started writing her I kinda started to like her. And now I feel bad for her going through all this hehe...**

**sairakanzaki: You may wish for that, but the couple themselves do not :P Imagine how you'd feel if something like that happened to you *shivers* I would freak. And have a mental breakdown. And break things hehe. I'll update when I can but as I stated many times now I hurt my hand and typing with my left is difficult.**

**(So that's all the reviews! Now to study for my stupid midterm tomorrow... It's 10pm T^T I'll be up all night... Give me reviewsto make me feel better? ;D)**


	5. Confronting You

**So... Chappy update :D A note to keep to yourself while reading: things are not as they appear e_e**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and I got nothing witty to say.**

* * *

Ace found himself on deck, hugging his knees tightly to his chest as he thought back to his conversation with Thatch.

_"He was planning to propose when you got back."_

The words repeated over and over in his mind and his heart was wrought with hurt. That would never happen. He was a man, after all. And if Marco was so serious about their relationship he would be crushed when he discovered the truth. And so Ace was left to wallow in his own messed up thoughts, pondering would he could—should—do. He sat there on deck, leaning against the railing, cursing inwardly with only moonlight illuminating his surroundings.

Footsteps echoed across the deck and stopped in front of the freckled boy.

Marco stared down at his newest crewmate, scrutinizing his appearance. It seemed he didn't even notice that he was there; just continued to bury his face into his lap, tightly enveloping his arms around his legs. He didn't really know the kid—nor did he like him—but, even so, he felt worried. He always hated to see his crewmates upset and, though the kid was new, he wanted to try to help him out. The blonde had his own problems, sure, but he'd done enough sulking for the night and knew that no matter how much he worried about Ann it wasn't going to change anything—he would still have to wait.

"Something wrong yoi?"

Ace's head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice and he was met with the sight of the first mate crouching in front of him. His face paled as he registered the blonde's concerned expression. That was the last person he wanted to see. He clenched his fists so tight that the knuckles drained of colour and gritted his teeth before forcing himself to look away. _Go away, Marco! Please…_

"It's nothing," he replied in a sharp tone—a clear sign that his inner turmoil was beginning to surface.

"Just tell me yoi. I can help."

"You can't," he shot, lowering his head once more. "Just leave me alone."

Instead of hearing the first mate walking away he heard him plop down beside him, resting again the railing just as he was. Ace looked over curiously and saw that the older man was looking to the velvet sky.

"You're one of us now; you should learn to trust me yoi."

Ace exhaled and stared at the deck, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact. "You wouldn't be so eager to ask if you knew the truth."

"Try me."

The boy swallowed, trying to prepare himself. He had to tell Marco soon or else he was going to wear himself out. He didn't want to, though. He didn't want to crush the man's hopes. It was enough for him to remain blissfully unaware. Or was it? Thatch said his health was declining; Ace would rather Marco reject him than let him go on like that. "I—"

"Oi, Ace, I brought dinner!" shouted Thatch as he exited the galley. Ace's heart nearly jumped out of his chest and he sent the man a dark glare. It didn't take the redhead long to register the situation and he gave his friend an apologetic look. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Yes," Marco replied dryly.

"No," Ace retorted in a stern, unyielding voice.

The blonde eyed Ace curiously as he was handed a plate. Just like earlier, the plate contained a large quantity of food—enough to feed ten starving men. Immediately the boy began ripping and tearing at the meat almost angrily, paying no attention to the two before him.

Thatch rubbed the back of his neck. Clearly his presence was a hindrance but it was too late—the damage was done. The look on Ace's face told him that he was trying to confess the truth. That made him feel even worse. And the glower he was receiving from Marco didn't help.

It was only a few minutes later when Ace finished his meal. He stood, handed the plate over to Thatch, and started walking away. "I'm going to sleep," he declared while heading to the upper deck for some privacy.

"Wanna talk about it?" Thatch shouted over to him, eliciting a questioning look from his blonde companion.

"Shove it," Ace spat in reply. And then he was gone.

Thatch sighed. "Since when did he have such a mouth on him?" he questioned in a hushed tone. "What were you talking about, anyways?" He was sure he knew already but decided it best to confirm it.

"Something's bothering him yoi."

"Yeah, I know. He keeps beating himself up about it."

"You know what it is?"

"Well, yeah. I—" He stopped himself before he could say something he would regret later. He promised Ace he wouldn't say anything and he was a man of his word. "Oh no. _Oh no_. I'm_ not_ going to tell you. Ace would kill me!"

"Why yoi?"

"Well, because… It's personal, you know?" _And you would completely freak out if you knew._

"Yet he was fine with telling _you_, of all people?"

Thatch narrowed his eyes. "I take offense to that."

"You should yoi."

"He didn't want to tell me; I was just in the right place at the right time. But forget that—aren't you going to eat?"

"Not hungry yoi."

The redhead stared the man down. "Yes, you are. We're going to the mess hall and you're going to have a proper meal. Understand?" Before giving the first mate a chance to reply he grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him towards the door. Marco was too exhausted to put up a fight and obediently followed his friend.

* * *

As the hours passed the crew headed into the living quarters and filed into bed. The stars dotted the sky along with a silvery moon and Ace found himself falling into a trance while watching them. He couldn't sleep. He leaned his head back against the mast and closed his eyes, listening closely to the sounds of the waves and wind. He was tired—dead tired—but his mind was too muffled for him to drift off.

Again, just like earlier, he heard someone sit beside him. He didn't open his eyes.

"Go away, Marco."

"You didn't finish what you were saying earlier yoi."

"And I won't. Just…go to sleep or something."

"Not tired."

"I call 'bullshit'."

"Oh?"

"Your speech is slow. And I can tell when you're lying."

"How yoi?"

"I'm…" He sighed before relinquishing the thought and replacing it with another. "I just know."

Neither spoke after that. They just sat quietly beside each other, watching the stars. Marco was curious about the kid. He was familiar for one reason or another and he couldn't shake away the sense of nostalgia that washed over him when they were together. That's why he was so bothered by his secret.

The blonde was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a slight pressure against his shoulder. He looked to see that Ace had fallen against his arm, asleep. He went to adjust the boy by grabbing hold of him and righting him so that he could move away but paused when his hand brushed against cold skin. And then he remembered that his newest little brother had no room. Feeling bad about it he thought about what he could do for him. The night was cold and windy—not exactly ideal sleeping conditions. So he resolved himself to throwing one of the young man's arms around his shoulder and carrying him inside. When he stood the full weight of Ace's body fell on him and he adjusted to keep from dropping the kid. _He's damn heavy. _

Once inside, Marco placed the sleeping figure gently on his bed to keep from waking him. He dropped the green and black bag on the floor lazily and almost didn't notice when some of its contents spilled out onto the floor. Rolling his eyes he bent down to clean up the mess. He froze. On the floor were large, red beads strung together in a necklace. Their smooth surface reflected the tiny rays of moonlight that entered in through the bedside window. Trembling hands reached for them, grasping them tightly as they shook.

* * *

_"This? It's one of my treasures," the black-haired girl stated, smiling fondly at the beaded necklace she held in her hands._

_"Like your hat yoi?"_

_"Yeah. Luffy gave me my hat but this was from my caretaker."_

_Marco's hand snaked across her waist, pulling her closer until her body was flush with his. She rested her head on his shoulder as she fingered the beads, smiling at the memories. "What was she like yoi?"_

_Ann's face contorted into a smirk. "She was an old hag—leader of some mountain bandits. But she took care of us and for that I'm grateful."_

* * *

Marco clenched his teeth. Why the _hell_ did Ace have Ann's necklace? He felt his blood boil and before he realized what he was doing he'd picked up the watermelon bag and opened it. His eyes doubled in size when he saw its contents. Orange cowboy hat, curved dagger with intricate engravings and various other miscellaneous items—everything that belonged to Ann, his girlfriend.

Necklace still in hand, he stood and walked over to the boy, attempting to shake him into consciousness.

"Oi, wake up! What the _hell_ is this yoi?" The boy stirred but his eyes remained closed. "Oi, Ace, wake up!"

With a groan Ace sat up, rubbing his head. He was still half asleep. "Damn it, Marco, how many times do I have to tell you not to—" His eyes widened as his brain registered the situation; Marco was holding up his necklace, eyes hard and judging. And he was still a man. He felt his blood run cold. "…You went through my _stuff_?"

"This isn't yours yoi. Where did you get it?"

"Yes it is, now give it back!" he demanded, swatting at the item that was just out of reach.

"Answer me, Ace," he commanded, voice dark and threatening. He looked like he was about to kill someone. "Everything in your bag belongs to my lover—Ann. Where is she yoi?"

Ace swallowed. What could he say in a situation like that? He looked away and his voice lowered. "…Like I said, it's mine."

"Damn it, stop lying to me." He grabbed the boy by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him closer, forcing him to look his way. "Tell me."

Just as Ace was trying to formulate a reply he heard the door open. He looked behind the blonde to see a very surprised Thatch. No doubt the redhead heard the shouting and came to check it out. In no time he was between the two, prying Marco's hand off of the younger's shirt. Ace fell back on the bed and Thatch was immediately at his side, soothingly caressing his back. "Oi, what the hell are you doing, Marco?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed. He was pissed. "This bastard knows something about Ann yoi. He has all of her belongings."

"You still haven't realized?"

"What?"

"He's—" Thatch began, getting abruptly cut off.

"Don't," Ace commanded in a firm tone. "I don't want him to find out like this."

"Find out what yoi?"

Thatch lowered his voice so that only the freckled boy could hear him. "Sorry, but I have to." He took in a deep breath and looked the first mate dead in the eyes. "Ace _is_ Ann." He said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"…What?" Marco looked to the boy in disbelief, studying his face. The younger turned away, his features scrunched up, teeth clenched, looking guilty. "Don't be stupid, Thatch."

Ace bit his lip—that hurt to hear.

"I'm being serious! Can't you see it? When did you get so damn stubborn?"

The youth swallowed and mentally prepared to speak. That was the moment he had dreaded—the one he feared. He continued facing the sheets. "…It's true, Marco. I'm Ann."

"How do you expect me to believe that yoi?"

"I don't. I still don't believe it, myself." He paused, trying to think of a way to explain it. "I went to visit Luffy and Sabo like I said. I woke up one day and… I was like this."

"…A man yoi?"

Ace nodded, gripping the blankets tightly. "I-I don't know what happened. Just… Just please don't hate me."

Marco slowly knelt on the bed, reaching out his arm. He pulled the boy to face him and looked deep into his eyes. He saw the pleading and the worry in those dark pools, brought out even stronger by the freckles that danced along his cheeks. He studied his features closely, trying to gage the accuracy of those words. "You're… Ann?"

Ace nodded shyly, looking at the blonde with sad eyes. Marco pulled his hand away and sat at the edge of the bed, trying to sort everything out. But he was unable to so readily believe it.

"…Do you still have your ability?"

"Yeah…"

"Show me yoi."

Ace held out his hand and the two older men watched as his fingers morphed into flames, releasing precious heat into the air. No longer could the phoenix deny it. After all, no two of the same Devil Fruit can exist at the same time.

Thatch noticed the mood change and deemed it safe to leave. He didn't want to interrupt their reunion, regardless of whether it went well or not. Even he had _some _sense of privacy. At least Ace was in no danger of being killed by an angry pirate. He slipped out in the silence, not bothering to say 'goodbye'.

Marco turned hesitantly to Ace with a slight smile. He didn't really know what to think—couldn't think—but resigned to it. He had no choice. All of the tension from the past two weeks seemed to fade from his body—Ann was safe. She wasn't the same, but she was alright. "I'm glad you came back yoi." And with those words his head fell on Ace's shoulder, causing the younger to blink in confusion.

"Marco…?" No response. He noticed the man's breathing was even and relaxed; the blonde had fallen asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Remember in the previous Author's Note how I mentioned that Marco's reaction had seceral stages? Yeah. Don't be fooled. That's all I'm going to say.**

**Hand Update: Started basic PT through drawing and typing. It's very annoying because of how sore it gets and how it doesn't listen, though...**

**To my lovelies~**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Good then ^^ It might help, but unlikely to be 100%. I'm going to try though!**

**RoXaS707: It might but I was told it likely will never be 100% T^T I've started basic PT like drawing and picking up things, holding for so long ect so hopefully it'll help. Good, because most people said they want explicit ;) I was going to put an omake explaining that the lock was broken but... hand =_= Not to give anything away... Just don't trust his reaction at the end of this chapter. You'll see why next chapter. No, wait, you'll see why in chapter 7. Trust nothing that he says to Ace. NOTHING. Ahem. Think I gave a little too much away...**

**Cyborgnetics: Yes, yes you should :P Those are really crappy hours D: Nah, Thatch is a great guy! Just can be very annoying sometimes :P But in this fic he's a nice big brother to Ace, especially when *spoiler* happens. Lol it's okay many people on this site also fit that description :P It'll only be like 3 scenes total (from what I have mapped out) and one's only in the epilogue while one other isn't explicit (no actual sex). Yeah, I don't like OC stories either really :/ I have OCs but only for my original stories. And a handful of side characters for my fics, of course.**

**WeissDragon: I'm going through with it since almost everyone liked the idea :) But I'll put a warning at the beginning of the explicit chapters stating what scene it's in and any important piece of the plot that were in said scene will be posted in the bottom Author's Note for people who don't want to read it.**

**Solace in the Chaos: Lol that was random :P And sorry if you don't like the tears, but I felt it was appropriate with the levels of stress Ace is experiencing. I'll take that as a yes, then? XD**

**Son Goshen: Hehehe that was such a fun part to write. There'll be more stupid jokes like that throughout. Yep, he did luckily. At first I contemplated having him freak out but then I was like "With what's goi nto happen Ace'll need a buddy..." and so that reaction was born. I know, don't you feel bad for him? *Sigh* Damn it, Marco... Very awkward when you've switched genders :P I'm also unsure hehe ;)**

**Portgas D. Paula: Good, because it will be towards the end of the story :) Hehehe hope you enjoyed the little twist.**

**Stelra Etnae: You're the first one to say that T^T Most people don't like "Ann" but like "Ace" even though they're the same damn person! *le sigh* Probably got like a 60 on my midterm but at least it's a passing mark! XD**

**AkiHimi: Yay~ Because it shall eventually have M-rated content, since most people approved~**

**azab: Yes, there shall be many awkward moments :P Yeah, gotta feel sorry for the guy, don't you? Thatch is the best. I find him so amusing to write sometimes XD**

**alniyat: Yep, but Marco found out regardless :P I planned the tattoo part from the very beginning. As soon as I decided the plot for the story I was like "Ace is so going to be revealed through his tattoo!" and that chapter happened XD Yep. I'm thinking of posting some of the more interesting plot ideas for future stories on my profile. Wonder if I should... Hehe then let there be adult content! Not too bad but it slows me down and makes inking (art) hard... And I'm an art/psych major so that's a problem...**

**sairakanzaki: Sorry, since most people liked explicit I'm going with that e_e; Not sure how explicit until I actually get around to writing it though. But I'll put a warning at the beginning and summary at the end of the chapter for people who don't want to read that. The scenes won't take up an entire chapter or anything, either. I'll update when I can, but as stated in the Author's Note, my hand is hurt and slows down my typing a lot...**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Yep XD The proposal thing is going to be important later, so don't forget it! I'm glad you did :D Thatch is gonna be Ace's buddy throughout this ordeal. Good :) There will be one partial scene (no actual intercourse), a series of...awkward situations, and two actual scenes (one in the epilogue) so not much overall, just what I deemed necessary for the plot :)**

**Sealing Mistress: Hehe that's become a pretty popular scene XD Ann got depressed u_u And about the M rating... Most people voted for explicit so I'm going with that. I don't know how much detail I'll go into because I've never written adult situations like that but what I'll do is I'll put a warning at the top of each chapter that has explicit material and what scene it's in. In the Author's Note at the end I'll put a description of the important plot points that were in the scene (because they're actually important to the story) so that if you feel it's too much for you, you can skip that part and still know what's going on. Would that help?**

**spoons-are-evil: That's okay, no problem ^^ Hehe yeah, Sabo's awsome. I'll try to show his cocky attitude when he shows up again later on. Yes, it was a horrible joke but amusing nonetheless XD I've decided the reason for Sabo's kindness now, so there was a reason for the creepiness! Hehe I've fangirl so many times before I can't even count.**

**InspirationalThoughts: Glad you like :) I love MarcoAce. It's an adorable couple to me. And a lot of my favourite fanfic authors write this couple. Maybe this fic can help turn you hehehe...**

**UchihaLuci: Really? Yay! Lol very blunt aren't you? Well you get what you wish - there will be a few explicit scenes. There will also be lots of awkward moments as well :D**

**(It's 2:30am and I'm hungry so I'm gonna go grab myself some food. So in the meantime, enjoy my updates! Yes, there are multiples. If you're a reader of my other fics you'll probably have a field day :P Please review because I've been trying to write with only my left just for my readers and it's very tiring T^T Well, to the fridge! Adieu~)**


	6. The Drunken Mess

**I am uploading this at 1:30am because I took a "nap" that lasted 8 hours... I'm going to be up all night *eye twitch***

**Oh, and just a heads up: this chapter and the next are bleh :/ I just had to get through them so I did. The fun starts at chapter 8. This is just... formality. So please don't hate me for the crappiness T^T I've started on chapter 9 (becaues for some reason this is the only story I've been working on for the pst two days) so... yeah. Have fun.**

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Marco winced and drew back as bright morning light seeped in through the bedside window. His face scrunched and contorted, cursing the day as he entered a more comfortable position while shielding his face from the harsh rays. He finally got a proper night's sleep and didn't want it to end. But he knew it would have to. So, with an irritated groan, he forced himself to open his eyes.

The room was just as empty as it had been for the last three weeks. He held his head as the visions from that night replayed in his mind—what brought about such a strange dream? Was it the dinner Thatch forced down his throat? Well, whatever it was, it was over. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not; finding that Ann returned sent him into a state of elation but he didn't know how he felt about her being a man. It was just a dream, though, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Groggily he stood and made his way over to the closet to change. After doing that he headed out into the hall and up the stairs to the deck, meandering over to the galley door. That dream really had an effect on him because he actually felt hungry; the stress from knowing that Ann was still missing usually had him in a state where he didn't even recognize that his stomach was empty and he only ate when Thatch forced him to. He'd have to thank the man later for keeping him alive, seeing as he wasn't doing such a great job of it himself.

As he approached the door he heard cheers coming from inside, reminiscent of the many celebrations the crew would have. They always used anything and everything as an excuse to drink. But it was different from the norm; they always waited until sunset yet the sun was high, indicating it was about noon. Shrugging it off as one of his mates' whims, he entered. And oh what a sight he was met with.

Everyone was gathered around Ace, circling him and the table he was at. In front of the boy were at least ten empty mugs, all sprawled out across the wooden surface. Vista was pouring him another glass of rum and in no time he downed it, asking for more after he caught his breath. The others were all cheering him on, urging him to drink more. They were hyped up, drinking a few pints themselves, praising Ace for how much he had chugged at that point.

Marco just stood there as he recalled Ace—the newest member of the crew. He blushed a bit as the dream replayed itself in his head, going over the part where Ace said he was Ann. What a strange dream.

"Oi, slow down, kid!" he heard Thatch shout as he approached the table. Ace simply ignored him in favour of the rum. The man flung his hands in the air with exasperation. "Fine—don't blame me if you get alcohol poisoning."

Thatch shook his head and mumbled a few things under his breath before he noticed Marco and visibly brightened. He rushed the blonde and a gleam of hope entered his eyes. "Marco, buddy! Finally awake?"

"Uh, yeah. What's going on yoi?"

The redhead sighed. "Ace thought it would be fun to test his tolerance to alcohol now that he's a man. I'll admit he can hold more than he used to but he's so damn drunk that even _I_ feel bad. I didn't even do anything! See that? He can guilt-trip you when you're not even involved! You can't win!"

The blonde blinked as he listened to his friend's rant, eyes widening when the words registered. "Wait—what happened last night… That was real yoi?"

"What, you thought you were dreaming?" Thatch asked, looking at the first mate strangely. He brushed it off before the other could reply. "Forget it. Can you just do something about _that_?" He threw his thumb over his shoulder and gestured to the boy. "Normally I like watching my crewmates do stupid shit but this is just painful."

"Why me yoi?"

His friend shot him a look that said 'I can't believe you just said that'. "It's Ann! He's more likely to listen to you than any of us!"

Marco turned to look at the freckled boy as he took another swig from his mug, his face beet red from how much he consumed. That was Ann? The dream was real? No, that couldn't be right. Ann wasn't… She was…

He felt a little dizzy and had to a step back to steady himself before he had a chance to fall flat on his face. His eyes widened as he remembered all of the details from the night—the beads, the bag and Ace's confession. He took a deep breath as he accepted the information into his consciousness. Ann had returned. She was _safe_. But she wasn't the same. If it wasn't for his stoic nature he would have protested and told the redhead that he was insane, but… He couldn't deny it after seeing that his new crewmate had the same ability, could he?

Marco swallowed heavily and braced himself. "Okay."

Thatch relaxed as relief washed over him. He nudged the blonde, urging him forward. It didn't look like he was ready to face the drunk but the redhead was more concerned with Ace's liver than he was about Marco's emotions.

Marco stumbled over to the crowd and stood beside the boy awkwardly. Ace didn't seem to notice. He wondered how to get his attention and before he knew it he was gripping his shoulder. The pirate turned to him and, upon registering his face, scowled.

"Go away, stupid Pineapple."

Marco's eye twitched as snickers rang through the crowd. That wasn't the reacting he was expecting. Ann was rarely so cold towards him, so why was Ace? They were the same, weren't they? They couldn't be… No, they had to be. Or did they? Well, whatever. It didn't matter. Either way he still had to stop that little drinking game before the boy emptied the contents of his stomach onto the table.

"Don't you think you've had enough yoi?"

"Just getting started," the boy snapped back, sticking out his tongue.

It was painfully obvious that Ace was drunk off his ass. His speech was slurred and his eyes were so out of focus that it didn't feel like he was looking at him. He was swaying a bit in his seat, as though it was a struggle to stay upright. Now he knew why Thatch—one of the greatest supporters of the stupid things the crew came up with—asked him to stop the boy. It was amazing that he was even conscious. The sight led Marco to sigh.

"Get back to work before I put you all on clean-up duty yoi," he commanded the rest of the crew. He heard a bit of grumbling and complaining as they scattered before he was left alone with the boy. "Let's get you out of here."

The blonde gently grabbed onto Ace's arm but the boy snapped free of his grip, glaring at him as best he could through his clouded vision. "Piss off."

"Oi, what's with you?" Ann was a social drinker and an emotional drunk but never did she get angry. Sometimes she would cry or fall into hysterical laughter but wouldn't snap at a crewmate. And Ace was supposed to be her? How?

"You're the last person I wanna see, Pineapple. Leave me alone."

"Why yoi? What's wrong?" Marco placed a firm hand on his shoulder, ignoring the stupid nickname as he tried to figure out what had the drunkard in such a bad mood.

Ace turned away, staring into his glass. The blonde could see his eyes gloss over with tears and decided it was time to leave, hoisting the boy's body weight onto himself as he slung his arm over his shoulder and pulled him to his feet. He heard angry protests but ignored them; Ann hated to let people see her cry, drunk or not, and so he would get him to someplace more secluded.

Marco dragged him out onto the deck and over to the stairs. He intended to bring him back to his room and leave him sober up in there but he wouldn't stop squirming and shouting profanities. The blonde rolled his eyes. As they went down the third step, Ace's constant shifting caused the blonde to lose his balance and they both fell forward. He wrapped the younger in his arms instinctively to shield him from the blow and they tumbled down to the lower level, panting as adrenaline coursed through their veins.

Marco landed on top of the freckled man, one arm cupping his head and the other squeezing his waist. He released the boy and hovered over him, eyeing his form for wounds. He could have kicked himself when he remembered that Ace was a logia-type user.

"Are you okay yoi?" he asked, watching the younger below him. Ace's face was bright red—not just from the alcohol. He stared shyly into blue eyes and gave a slight nod. It was only then than Marco noticed his leg was rubbing against something hard. He quickly backed off of Ace and stared awkwardly at the bulge under the boy's shorts before tearing his eyes away. That's right—Ann was a boy. How was their relationship supposed to work?

Eyes settled on a random patch of floor, Marco stood and stretched his arm out towards the drunkard. Ace hesitantly took the hand and was pulled to his feet with all of his weight, again, resting on the blonde. They awkwardly headed down the hall into the bedroom where he was placed gently on the bed. He watched as the first mate turned away abruptly and his heart sank. Marco couldn't stand him as he was, could he?

"S-sorry," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "I-I can't really control it…" His heart was still beating erratically from their close encounter and he felt that all of his blood was being pumped to his crotch. Damn, being a man gave him an endless list of problems. If he was worried about the awkwardness of that moment he could only imagine how the blonde felt, seeing that his 'girlfriend' had an erection.

"It's fine," he replied calmly from his spot across the room. He turned to face Ace, his expression unreadable. "You gonna tell me why you're upset yoi?"

Ace's eyes widened. _That_ was what was bothering him? Not what just happened in the hall? He fisted the sheets at his sides and turned his head to face the floor. Drunk as he was, he wasn't seeing straight. And he couldn't think clearly. If he were sober he wouldn't have told him. But with his mind as messed up as it was and with tears ready to fall he didn't think enough to remember that. And so he let whatever ridiculous, drunken thought that came to roll off his tongue. "You hate me."

Marco's eyes widened and he gawked at the nearly-crying boy on his bed. "…What?"

"You can't stand that I'm like this, right?" His voice was shaking. "I hate this. Why the fuck did this happen?"

Marco rushed over, swooped in and wrapped his arms around him as he sat on the bed next to him, holding him tight. He watched his eyes widen as he turned his now tear-stained face to the blonde in utter shock. "Don't _ever _think that yoi. I could never hate you."

Ace closed his eyes. "I'm a man, Marco. I have a fucking _penis_."

"I don't plan on giving up on you yoi." Ace's trembling stopped and he froze in place, hanging on the blonde's every word. "It's… strange, but I'm going to try. We'll get used to it yoi."

"…Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why would you do that? I-I'm… I'm going to be stuck like this, Marco."

"I love you, Ann. You should know that by now yoi."

"But—"

"And while I enjoy the sex, it's not the only reason I care about you."

From beside him, Marco could hear slow, shuddering sobs. He saw drunken tears fall from Ace's face and held him closer, rubbing the side of his head. He meant those words—he loved Ann for more than just her body—but it wasn't the same for Ace. He didn't feel that way at all. In fact the hold he had on the young man was awkward and forced. It felt wrong. He was doing his best to ignore the gender change—to treat 'Ace' as he did 'Ann'—but didn't think it would work. It was too different. Still, he wouldn't say that. Instead he just forced a smile and continued on.

"You're crying yoi."

"S-shut up, stupid Pineapple!"

* * *

**A/N: Yay it's over~ I-I mean oh no the chapter's over... hehe... Anyways that last paragraph is important. Remember that for the next chapter. Oh and for those of you who get annoyed when Ace cries: don't worry, it's unlikely to happen again. I just put it into this chapter to show how Ace acts when he's drunk, since he otherwise wouldn't have said the whiny stuff he did :P Needed it to happen for later in the plot.**

**Hand Status: To summerize, it was healing and then my art class decided that it hated me. Gonna be a while.**

**To my lovelies~**

**Portgas D. Paula: It was because he was exhausted from lack of sleep due to stress and felt relieved to know that Ann was safe, so he finally allowed himself to rest :)**

**alniyat: Don't be. Two were already written before I hurt my hand and the other two took me like all week to write because of my hand. Well Marco's not an asshole so it won't really get messy... just... complicated. The last paragraph is a show into the annoyingness that is the next chapter :P Thatch... God, Thatch... Let's just say that Thatch and Izo like to meddle e_e; Lol you assume Marco will come around! ...Yes, he will u_u But just so I can screw with you guys during the epilogue XD I was originally going to make them separate. Yes to explicit content. Probably in chapter 10 if everything goes as it should. Full recovery is unlikely. And I'm a pessimist.**

**Stelra Etnae: Hehe I thought it was a cute scene XD Nope. Most don't like the thought of Ace being a girl at all, even though they're the exact same person... Lol you kind Ann is cool? Yay!**

**azab: Read and find out :P Ace is my favourite One Piece character. (I'm still bitter over his death e_e;) Following closely behind are Sabo, Law, Marco, and others that I can't think of right now. **

**Haruka-desu: I'll update when I update. Got 6 stories going.**

**Kitsune FoxFire: Tell that to my art teacher T^T Yeah, they get messed with a lot in this story :P**

**UchihaLuci: Thank for the review! (Though it was hard to understand hehe ^^;)**

**Son Goshen: Lol originally I was going to have him just completely freak but then I realized it didn't suit his character and got all sad... Basically he's trying to force himself to treat Ace like Ann but it doesn't work out too well XD Hehe yeah... Originally I was going to have him and Ace actually fight during that scene but thought it would complicate things even more later on so I didn't.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Well Marco's reaction isn't over really. And it would be stupid for him to deny it after seeing Ace's ability. Plus this isn't meant to be a long story and there's still a lot I had to get through, so... But there's a possibility that I'll be making an alternate version in April or May that'll be longer and have Ace keep his secret longer as well ;)**

**sairakanzaki: Nothing is ever fine in my stories :P**

**Solace in the Chaos: O.o What?**

**WeissDragon: Lol don't expect multi-updates like that again. You're welcome :)**

**RoXaS707: Just don't trust anything e_e Actually I should be saying that for ****_Imagined Life_****, not this story... Oh well. Yep, Ace is going to have it rough for a while even though this chapter makes it look like everything will be okay.**

**Sealing Mistress: Hehe well we didn't see Marco much in canon so we don't know much about him, meaning everything goes. Though you may thing my portrayal of him is very in-character I'm just making it up as I go along :P **

**Starry Roses: You'll see how the rest of the crew feels next chapter :P**

**miaamaryllis: Everyone says that XD To be honest, though, they're the same person only with different genitals (and I made Ann different, but it was for a reason hehe) so I don't get why people are so bothered by gender change :P Piece of advice: assume nothing!**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Hehe yes he does. Next chapter will explain how both he and Ace are feeling about the whole thing. It gets kinda weird, though.**

**evilisdaily: Actually a lot of my veteran readers aren't bothing with it, probably because it's a genderbender XD Nah, Marco acting like that would be too out of character. I see him as being a stoic, meaning he just sort of accepts whatever happens instead of freaking out over it. **

**Gundam-grrl: I'll update when I update :P I was actually going to end it off where Marco saw the beads but I was nice, so be happy XD**

**(We have 82 reviews so far. Let's try to break 100 before the interesting parts happen, shall we? XD I wanna see if this can catch up to ****_Reverse_**** before it finishes... Anyways, it's 2am and I am wired. So I shall eat a sandwich and keep myself busy until I leave for school at 7:30. Adieu~)**


	7. Overrated

**So this is another meh chapter but I had to get through it :/ Next one's better though - Izo comes in XD**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and have nothing witty to say.**

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When Ace next woke he was met with a searing pain in his skull. He sat up and clutched his head in his hands, trying to stop it from imploding on itself. If ever he had a hangover as bad as that, he couldn't recall. The ache that rang through his head was enough to leave him out-of-focus and wondering where he was. He could barely open his eyes.

For a while he just sat there, unmoving, taking deep breaths as he tried to settle. He slowly peered into the room, registering it as the 1st commander's quarters. At first that didn't seem too surprising, seeing as he slept there alongside his partner, but then his mind turned to his little transformation and he grimaced. What was he doing in there? Marco didn't…

Shit. Marco knew.

Ace tried to remember how he got there. He remembered Marco fell asleep the night before. After that he proceeded to rest against the wall on the other side of the room, so as not to startle the phoenix when he woke. But Ace was also the first to rise and, knowing for certain that the night's previous events weren't a dream, preceded to the mess hall to drink away his frustrations. That explained his hangover—twenty-something pints of rum will do that to you. He placed his head in his palms, wondering how he was still alive after taking in that much alcohol. Surely he was missing a few brain cells…

At some point Marco had forcefully dragged him down into his room and they… talked. Ace was so messed up from the alcohol that he said some stupid things which led the blonde to also say stupid things. Marco always tried to comfort him, even if he had to stretch the truth. Though he told Ace sweet things about wanting to be with him despite the gender change he recognized them as little white lies, which he so often used to calm him down back when he was 'Ann'. He could tell because the commander had a terrible habit of avoiding eye-contact when he was saying anything but the truth.

* * *

Marco stared into his coffee, watching his face reflect off its surface. He let out a groan as he absently traced his finger along the mug's side, slipping deeper into thought. He left Ace in his bedroom a few hours ago to rest and had been contemplating their conversation ever since. Ann was often like that when drunk—emotional and nonsensical; blowing things out of proportion—but it was awkward to see Ace in that same state. No matter how many times he told himself that they were the same person he couldn't come to actually believe it. Back then he did his best to comfort Ace the way he would his lover but it felt so incredibly awkward that he wasn't sure he could do it again.

Thatch, who was cleaning the area of the bar that Marco was sitting at, noticed his friend's moping.

"Something wrong, buddy?" he asked as he moved the cleaning cloth across the wooden surface, making slow circles to be sure he didn't miss a spot.

"I don't think I can do this yoi."

"Do what? Drink your coffee?" he teased, getting only a dull glare in response. "Alright, alright, I'll be serious. Just trying to lighten the mood."

The blonde let out a heavy sigh. "I can't see 'Ace' as 'Ann'."

"You know they're the same. What's the problem?"

"He's different yoi. I tried but… I don't think I can love him."

Thatch's shoulders sagged at that and he paused in his cleaning, knowing just how horrible Ace would have felt if he heard those words. He couldn't help but want to defend his crewmate. "Other than being a guy I don't see him as being very different. Sure he swears more than Ann but in his situation I don't blame him."

"I know, I just…" Marco started, trying to think of how to phrase his thoughts. Usually he knew exactly what to say but the whole situation had him messed up. "I told him I'd try but I can't yoi."

"It'd kill him to hear you say that."

"…I know."

Without any further conversation, Marco emptied his cup and headed deeper into the bowls of the ship in the hope that busying himself with work would help keep his mind off a certain freckled young pirate.

Almost on cue, Ace threw open the door and dragged himself and his pulsing head into the mess hall, sitting right where Marco was before. Immediately he pressed his forehead to the wood of the bar, remaining perfectly still. "Water…" he mumbled, face still flush with the surface.

"You look like hell," Thatch stated as he walked back into the kitchen to fulfill his friend's request. When he returned he saw that the freckled boy hadn't so much as inched from that spot. He slammed the glass of water down in front of him, causing the pirate to jump and clutch the sides of his head desperately. If even that was too loud for him it was a wonder how he was able to function. "Amazing how hangovers work, isn't it?"

"Shut it, you stupid clown," he shot back from his place against the counter, still not daring to raise his head. "…Marco's a horrible liar."

Thatch's eyes widened as he took in those words. "You heard?"

"Hard not to—was right behind the door the whole time."

"…Sorry."

Ace raised his head to reveal bloodshot eyes. He wrapped his fingers around the glass and watched the water move as he tapped it. "It's fine. I already knew." Swallowing hard in his throat, he raised the glass to his lips and took a large swig of it, downing almost half in one go. "I'm going to move on."

"What? Just give him time, I'm sure—"

"I made up my mind before I got back. I love him, but…" His voice trailed to nothing as he recalled their last night together. If he knew something like that was going to happen he would have made it last longer. He would have bought as much time with the blonde as he could. With that thought at the forefront of his mind he sighed. "It hurts too much. I'm not going to wait around for something I know will never come."

"Ace…"

The freckled boy smiled. It was a bit pained, but filled with all of his resolve. He knew from that very first day that things would never be the same and he spent the last two weeks trying to accept that. Hearing Marco's words made it a lot easier to do. He finished his glass, stood and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Won't be needing this…"

Thatch stared blankly as the pirate began undressing himself. "…What are you doing?"

"Taking off my shirt."

"…Why?"

Ace's mouth stretched into one of his infamous grins, brows furrowed in certainty as he removed the offending cloth from his back and threw it onto the stool, revealing the large tattoo on his back. "I think it's about time the crew gets to meet their 2nd division commander, don't you?"

* * *

There was frantic knocking at the door. Marco groaned as his concentration was broke. He placed the document he was reading back on the desk and glared as a familiar redhead entered the room uninvited.

"What is it yoi?" he asked, crossing his arms in irritation. He was finally able to concentrate on his work when that stupid man interrupted him.

"Oi, you sure you don't care about Ace?"

Marco blinked. What was that all of a sudden? "It's not that I don't care, it's… Why?"

"He said he's going to forget about you," Thatch announced in a dead-serious voice, much unlike his usual tone.

"What? Why yoi?"

"He heard us talking and, well… Look, it's not my fault, alright? I just listened, that's all."

Marco hated when he avoided his questions—it always meant something bad happened. "Get on with it."

"He's—"

The redhead was interrupted by muffled sounds coming from above. They both looked at each other before heading up to the deck.

Ace was shirtless, surrounded by the other commanders and some of Whitebeard's nurses. Vista sat across from him and their hands were locked, trying to force the other into submission as the rest of the crowd chatted amongst themselves and cheered for Fire Fist. Within a few more moments Vista's hand was thrust against the wooden crate they were arm wrestling on. The boy received pats on the back and everyone's attention was on him, asking him questions and welcoming his return.

Marco just stared. When he made no move to speak, Thatch thought it best to explain.

"He told them. Nobody minds, but… Well, you see, he decided to embrace being a man."

"Isn't that a good thing yoi?"

"Let me rephrase that: he's decided to _act_ like a man."

The blonde raised an eyebrow and was about to ask how that was different. Then he noticed some of the nurses clinging to Ace, whispering in his ear and rubbing his shoulders rather intimately. "…He didn't."

"He did—said that if he's going to be a man he should get used to women. The girls offered to… help him out."

Marco raised a hand to his head and rubbed his temple. He was used to Ann's ridiculous stunts but never did he expect to witness… whatever it was he was seeing. "I can't believe this yoi."

"Why not? He got a lot of attention when he was Ann, only now he's available."

"He's not—" Marco stopped and wondered what he was trying to say.

Thatch's mouth curved into a mischievous grin. "I thought you didn't care about him," he teased, watching his friend's expression turn sour.

"…I never said that. I just don't think I can feel for him the way I did Ann yoi."

Thatch raised an eyebrow and his mouth widened. "Oh really? Because you look pretty jealous right now."

After shooting his friend a sharp glare Marco walked over to the crowd just as he did in the morning. No one paid him any mind, including Ace who was too busy being flirted with.

There was an unwritten rule on the Moby Dick that said you didn't date your crewmates. They were all treated as family and it was considered taboo for any of them to be together. That changed when Ann joined. Many of the men on the ship found her attractive, being one of the only women in the crew. No one acted on their feelings, though, until Marco. At first he just kept close to her to ward off the others but eventually he felt the same. He hated himself for it because they were crewmates. Once they found that their feelings were mutual they spoke to Oyaji and he approved of their relationship. The other men resigned to just being her brothers and everything was back to normal. It seemed that the whole thing was starting up with the women now that Ace was a man—one of the few young ones aboard—only that time around he wasn't outright refusing them.

Ace noticed him only when he was right next to him. He turned and gave the blonde a smile.

"Hey, Marco. Wanna join us?"

"What are you doing yoi?"

Ace opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Vista.

"We're celebrating," he replied, patting the young pirate on the back.

"…Celebrating?"

"Yeah," Ace began, flashing one of his usual grins—the ones that made him look so much like Ann. "I've been gone for a while so we're catching up."

Marco looked around at his crewmates. They were all drinking and laughing and having a good time, same as always. The sun was setting and they usually started 'celebrating' around then, though they normally weren't so loud. Some of the drunks were flirting with the girls, which was the norm, but he didn't like how the girls were flirting back—specifically with the 2nd division commander. Before he knew what he was doing he grabbed Ace by the wrist and dragged him away from the crowd. Moans of complaints could be heard from behind them, as well as jokes about a 'lovers quarrel'.

"O-oi! What are you doing?" Ace asked as he pulled at the blonde's hand, attempting to free himself. Marco had an iron grip, however, and the young man resigned to pout and follow behind. When they came to a stop on the other side of the deck, away from any wandering eyes, the older turned to face him with a look of agitation.

"What are _you_ doing yoi?"

Ace's eyes narrowed and he snapped his arm free, glaring at the phoenix. "Reuniting with my nakama and adjusting."

"To life as a man?"

He nodded firmly, walking over to the bow and leaning against the rail, looking out at sea. Night would fall shortly and yet he spent most of the day asleep. "I figure if I get used to it now I'll have less problems in the future."

"And the women yoi?"

"They're helping me out. I'm going to have to accept it sooner or later."

"You really think it's going to be that easy? Can you change your orientation just like that?" He didn't know why but he was starting to get really irritated with the boy. Maybe he couldn't stand that he was making light of the situation.

Ace snickered, looking back at the blonde. "They're not so bad. And I don't plan on staying single forever, Marco."

The first mate's brows knitted together. He was starting to get angry at the boy. It was rare enough for him to lose his temper but never at Ann. They got along well yet there he was, clenching his fists without a clue as to why. It was Ace's choice to make—whether he stuck with men or switched over to women—but he couldn't help but feel upset about the whole thing. He was so focused about the boy in front of him that he didn't realize what slipped from his mouth. "I don't remember letting you go yoi."

Ace sighed. "I overheard you and Thatch talking. I know, alright?" His features softened and he looked out onto the warm-coloured sky. "You don't have to force yourself."

"I said I'd try," he replied, remembering that he also told the redhead that he wasn't sure if he could. He felt awkward around Ace, to say the least—even a little uncomfortable. But he didn't want to lose Ann. Ah, conflicting emotions were so troublesome. What was he to do? He wanted to make Ace trust him, even if he wasn't sure of himself. He hesitantly placed his hand over the freckled man's.

Ace closed his eyes and irritation washed over his face. He could feel Marco's fingers trembling slightly at the awkwardness of the situation and pulled away. Really, the blonde was too frustrating, doing all of that when he resigned to move on. "You damn, stubborn blue turkey. Just forget it, alright?"

As he moved to walk away he felt the first mate clasp onto his hand, stopping him. He looked back and they stared in silence, neither knowing what to say. Ace smiled softly, speaking first. "I'll be fine." With that he was released, free to continue on his way.

He strode away quickly to make sure Marco didn't see his blush. Damn it, even after all that he still couldn't help feeling for the guy. When the girls surrounded him, pressing themselves into him and whispering in his ear, he felt nothing. The only one who made his heart race was a stupid blue turkey who couldn't bring himself to love a man. _Fucking feelings—they're overrated._

* * *

**A/N: Now we can get to the main part of the plot! It's fun to write something sappy like this after writing all my other fics that have little to no romance :P I'm falling asleep here so I'll quickly reply to the reviews and take a nap *yawn***

**Hand Status: Slowly getting better... Slowly...**

**To my lovelies~**

**Gundam-grrl: Lol I feel bad for all of the characters XD**

**WeissDragon: Lol I'm normally updating around 4-5am. This weekend is weird because I'm actually updating at normal times o.o Glad you like it^^**

**RoXaS707: Sadly, that is true... Nah, Ace isn't that naive. He knows Marco too well for that to happen. Yes it's bad to hurt Marco. He's going through a lot too and it's not like he WANTS to hurt Ace, he just can't help it.**

**azab: Glad you like!**

**Stelra Etnae: Lol yesh XD And don't worry - there will be more awkward moments coming up for your enjoyment :P In about 2 chapters!**

**Portgas D. Paula: Yep, It did :/ Lol boyfriends are fine so long as you don't change into a man ;) **

**sairakanzaki: I'm glad you do :)**

**alniyat: Chapter 8 is where the fun part of the story begins. Well, for me at least XD Yes, that is correct. And we can already see him slipping into stage 3 here. Lol seriously? It wouldn't be that big of a deal. As Ace stated, he wouldn't stay single forever! He could always ask his ex boyfriend to hook up again :P (You'll find out what I'm talking about in chapter 9) Hehe yes. Chapter 10 begins the good stuff. And I'll get to troll you guys.**

**Solace in the Chaos: Lol you hate characters crying that much? XD**

**Son Goshen: I enjoy drunken scenes :P I find it funny how the drunken/hangover scenes in this story ended up coenciding with ****_Resolve_**** XD Hehe Marco's not taking it well. He's just... very confused. Doesn't really know how to act.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, he's a genius! My hands okay... ish. I can move it.**

**spoons-are-evil: Hehe it's true, I really don't get enough sleep. Like it's 7:30pm right now and I'll probably head to bed and be up again around 9-10 then remain awake until 6am :P Bad, bad sleep schedule. Well Marco's reaction is confusing. I'm sure you've noticed by now, though. Hehe and there shall be more awkward scenes before this story is finished! Yep, that's wrong. But it's okay because most of my readers are like that :P I know how you feel. I get home from university, go to my computer to write a fic and I'm just like "ugh... sleep..." **

**StrawberryGirlKairi: As Ace stated, he was just trying to comfort him. It's not like he's TRYING to be mean he just... is. Lol I'd like to see you try to break Marco's face XD He can recover from wounds so I wonder how that would work... Don't worry, things will be less rage-inducing later. Though it's going to get worse first...**

**(Well, that's everyone! It's so easy to finish the replies for this story. *yawn* I really need sleep. I'ma nap so... yeah. Adieu~)**


	8. A Vacation and Narcoleptic Battle

**So I know I updated yesterday, but... I got through chapter 10 and I'm all proud of myself and wanted to celebrate with you guys :D Even though I suck terribly at writing intimate scenes e_e You have no idea how awkward it is to write things like that when your relatives are visiting in the other room =_=;**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece but I DO own Izo's sassiness :P**

* * *

"Alright, men, listen up!" Ace shouted as a large group surrounded him, each with grins reflecting his own. He stood at the bow of the deck, one foot on a crate and the other on floor, giving them a devilish smirk. "See that over there?" He pointed to a silhouetted object off in the distance. "That's our next stop."

Cheers from the second division members sounded through the air. Some of the commanders stopped their conversations and looked towards the group, curious to hear what their crewmate was going to say. They heard him mention the island and knew what that meant—they were going on a pleasure trip.

"It's a lawless island so we don't have to worry about Marines. Know what that means?" His division looked to him with anticipation. "Enjoy yourselves! Be it drinking, sex or whatever, I don't want you to return until you're satisfied! Understand?"

Once again they all shouted their commander's name in admiration.

"But you're getting the same about of beli as before, so don't waste it!"

Their faces sagged and they grumbled about their unfair 'allowances' before returning to their glee and talking amongst themselves about their mini vacation. While Ace was gone for three weeks, Moby hadn't stopped for a break in over a month. Some of the pirates were getting stir crazy and, with no Marines to fight and no challengers trying to get the captain's head, Whitebeard thought he'd give his children a break.

Marco gazed away from Ace and went inside, wishing to ignore him. They hadn't bothered with each other during the few days that passed since their last talk and, truth be told, he didn't know how he felt about that. Ace was right when he said that the blonde was simply forcing his affections. He couldn't bring himself to feel as he did for 'Ann'. But still, he hated how empty his room became. With only him to occupy it, Ace sleeping in the crow's nest or somewhere else on deck, it felt too large and spacious. He hated that when Ann was gone and he hated it when Ace returned.

Thatch stared at the 2nd division commander from across the deck, shaking his head. He really didn't understand that kid.

"Isn't that the same thing you told your division a few months ago?"

The redhead turned to see Izo standing beside him. The crossdresser was right; Ace basically recited the first part of his speech. He threw his arms behind his head and smirked. "More or less. Though I also gave them a lesson on how to please the ladies."

Izo shot him a look. "You're the last person who should be giving them advice like that, you letch."

Thatch chuckled at that. It was true that he was a bit of a pervert, if his past relationships were any indication. But that was hardly relevant. "I feel sorry for the kid."

"Hm? Why? He seems pretty happy," Izo noted.

"He's not really acting like himself," he replied with a sigh.

Izo's dark eyes darted from him to the boy and he studied him as he talked to his division. He crossed his arms and scrutinized him. "Indeed, he's forcing himself."

"Hm?"

"See there?" He pointed to the slight gleam on Ace's neck where the sun was reflecting off his sweat. It was actually a very cool morning and Fire Fist was the only one perspiring. "He's nervous."

Thatch turned to also face his friend, brow furrowed. "I don't blame him. Must be hard to adjust."

The crossdresser scoffed at that. "Sex is such a trivial thing—nothing to get so worked up over."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Says the okama." He was shot a glare and raised his arms in surrender.

"Really, being male or female only matters for reproduction. It doesn't define who we are. Gender is more a determinant than anything, really."

Thatch blinked. "Isn't that the same thing?"

Izo sighed and shook his head. "Gender refers to a person's sexual identity, not biological traits." He looked to the redhead and saw that he didn't really get it. Well he didn't really expect him to—Thatch was oblivious to things like that, as was the majority of the crew. Sometimes Izo felt he was the only sensible one in the group. Well, there was Marco, but lately that word didn't fit him. "You don't see Ace any differently than how you saw 'Ann', right?"

"Not at all. Why would I?"

"Exactly."

"Huh?"

"He looks different but he's still 'Ann'. And if it wasn't for Marco being so uncomfortable with his appearance he wouldn't be doing all this." Izo shook his head, thinking of how odd his comrade had acted since his return. He was trying to do anything he could to seem more like the average man. Maybe the saying 'loves makes people do strange things' was more true than he first thought.

"You know about that?" Thatch asked, tilting his head. Ace didn't bother to tell the crew about what was going on between him and Marco and no one bothered to ask. Most assumed that they got over each other after Ace's transformation and thought nothing more of it. The redhead knew that was obviously not true—Ace was trying but failing to move on and Marco was… Well, he wasn't sure about him. He hadn't even mentioned Ace once over the past few days. He was sure that his friend hadn't forgotten the boy, though.

"I'm not so dense as to be oblivious to the way they've been acting. It's too obvious."

"What is?"

Once more Izo sighed. He backed up and sat on one of the many crates scattered along the surface of the deck, crossing his legs effeminately. "Marco's confused. He keeps watching Ace from afar but doesn't say anything; meanwhile Ace is trying and failing to forget about Marco. See the cycle forming?"

Thatch eyed his fellow commander warily.

"What?"

"…I'm wondering how you noticed that."

"Women's intuition," he replied with a smile.

"You're a man…"

"Only genetically. I have the heart of a maiden."

"…You don't act very maiden-like, you know."

"Shut up and go make dinner."

* * *

Ace was about ready to head to the mess hall for dinner. He contemplated whether or not he should nap first, though, since he was getting groggy. He didn't sleep well that night. In fact he was only out for about an hour or so and it was starting to get to him. He wanted to avoid having a narcoleptic fit if he could.

As he approached the door he noticed Izo waving over to him. With a small smile he neared the crossdresser; he missed talking to him. They'd been close friends ever since he became 2nd division commander. In fact it was Izo who talked him into confessing to Marco one year ago. He hadn't really spoken to him since he returned—too busy thinking.

"Hey, what's up?" Ace beamed as he stopped in front of his brother.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have to pretend to be something you're not. They'll accept you either way."

"…"

"And I suppose you're acting like this because of Marco, right?"

Ace smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head with clear nervousness. "You caught me." Most people didn't notice that he was putting on an act—following the lead of the male pirates and acting like them—except Thatch, of course. Thatch and Izo were his best friends, though, so they knew him better than the others.

Izo rolled his eyes and flicked the boy's forehead. "You're stupid, you know."

"Heh, yeah… I know," Ace replied, rubbing the sore spot in his head.

"…Why are you doing it? Is it because Marco rejected you?"

"No, not quite…" Ace sighed. "He didn't do anything like that. He's just… really… He felt obliged to try, but… I knew he couldn't. I figure if I act like I'm happy without him he won't try to force himself to like me, you know?"

"So he was willing to try and you blew him off?" Izo sent his friend a dull glare.

"He was just trying to make me feel better. I didn't want that."

"You could have used that to your advantage."

Ace's eyes narrowed. "I'm not forcing him into anything."

"I was just saying," he stated, raising his hands defensively. He patted the crate next to him and invited Ace to join him. The young pirate complied and they sat side-by-side, staring out at the purple and orange sky that stretched across the sea. Normally the crossdresser gave good advice—he was able to get that stoic Marco to admit his feelings for Ann—but he wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to tell the boy to forget about it and go back to being himself but knew he would never listen. There was only one thing to say, then. "Want my advice? When we arrive on shore, go out and have some fun—take your mind off this and relax."

"I still have work to catch up on from when I was—"

"_Go_. We don't need you here if you're just going to mope and sulk all day."

Ace gave him a smile of gratitude. "Thanks."

The corners of Izo's mouth curved upward and his eyes softened. Knowing that he helped the boy—if only a little—he stood and felt his duty was done. "I'm going to eat dinner. I expect Thatch is finished by now."

"You ordered him to start early again, didn't you?"

"I don't know, 'ordered' is a pretty strong word. Let's say I 'requested' it."

"Sure, whatever you say," Ace said with a smile.

"You coming?"

"In a minute; I'm gonna sit here a while."

Izo shrugged and entered the galley, leaving Ace there alone. Very few people were still outside—two in the crow's nest on watch and a few on the upper deck. It was rare for it to be so quiet and he found it pretty nice, but the reason he stayed was his dizziness. Whenever he skimped out on sleep his narcolepsy became more violent. He figured taking a few minutes to compose himself would do him some good.

After feeling a little better he rose to his feet, happy to have beaten his nar—

* * *

Marco rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way up the stairs from the bowls of the ship. He just finished his paperwork for the day—why did a group of criminals need to go through so many formalities?—and was heading outside for some fresh air. He was on watch and his shift started in twenty minutes. Having eaten while working, there wasn't anything left for him to do so he thought it best to use that chance to clear his head.

The blonde arrived in the galley, walked to the far end and opened the door. He took only two steps outside when he felt his foot hit something. Looking down he noticed a raven-haired pirate with a large tattoo had his face planted firmly into the wooden floor. Ace didn't move. Marco watched him for a few seconds before nudging him in the side lightly with his toes. The boy didn't budge.

Before he went to study him further he heard faint breathing and a few snores. He sighed and his shoulders slumped—it was only a narcoleptic fit. Scrutinizing the pirate further he felt obliged to move him; he was laying only a few feet away from the door and was likely to get stepped on… again. He grabbed the underside of his arms, pulled him over to the wall and flipped him around so that he was lying on his back. The snores grew louder.

Marco looked around and noticed that the deck was more or less vacant. No one had noticed their sleeping friend so it was likely Ace collapsed not long before. He took a deep breath and inhaled the salty air. The mist brushed against his exposed skin and he felt all of his tension evaporate. He loved that feeling—he _lived_ for it.

Before he realized it he was sitting next to the sleeping pirate—perhaps it was because he always did so when Ann had one of her fits. He watched the freckled boy's sleeping face and pondered their situation. Being separated from his lover made him feel empty, yet he didn't feel for the young man as he did for his girlfriend. It was stupid—they were the same—but he couldn't help it. Ace made him uncomfortable and he didn't know why. Then there was his strange behaviour…

"I don't understand you yoi," he mumbled, knowing full-well that the boy couldn't hear him. Over the past few days Ace had clearly avoided him, but he spotted the boy looking his way every now and then. He'd caught himself doing the same thing whenever he started thinking about the problem at hand, wondering why Ace was acting the way he was. Even if they weren't 'together', weren't they still family? Why avoid him? "You didn't use to be so secretive," he noted.

Ace grumbled and stirred in his sleep. Marco turned his eyes to the boy and watched as he turned on his side. He flinched when Ace's arm arrived atop his, but didn't go to move him.

"Stupid turkey…" the freckled pirate grumbled in his slumber.

Marco tilted his head. _Turkey?_

Ace's grip tightened ever so slightly. "Stupid…"

The phoenix sighed. Even in a narcoleptic fit he couldn't help but spew insults, could he?

Again the pirate shuffled, this time wrapping both of his arms around the blonde's, his forehead resting against the first mate's forearm. Marco felt uncomfortable as he did before when he came into contact with the boy, but it wasn't really a bad feeling, just… odd.

"Marco…"

The blonde looked at Ace's sleeping face, noted his furrowed brow and recalled his words from when they last spoke.

_"I'll be fine."_

Marco sighed. _Liar._

"Oi, Marco!" called one of his mates from the crow's nest. He jumped slightly and instinctively removed his arm from Ace's grip, standing and walking as the man motioned him closer. Both he and the other man on duty climbed down to the deck to greet the first mate. "Your shift is starting," he announced as they walked by.

Marco nodded and watched them leave. He then looked back to the sleeping boy and noticed how strong the wind was getting now that the sun was down.

* * *

"Jealous, you say?" Izo asked as a mischievous grin made its way onto his face.

"Yeah. When he saw Ace being felt up by the girls he got all pissed off," Thatch explained as he filled his comrade's cup, also grinning. "You should have seen his face—it was hilarious!"

"Interesting…"

"…I don't like that look you're giving me."

"Listen, I have a plan."

"A plan? Now I really don't like where this is going…"

"You know my plans are flawless."

"In your head maybe," Thatch grumbled, handing the crossdresser his cup.

"Do you want to help or not?"

"Not," he replied bluntly with no hesitation.

"Well you're going to."

* * *

Ace woke and gawked blearily across the deck. He saw that the sun was down and cursed inwardly, knowing that he fell prey to his narcolepsy once again. Just once he would like to win against the damned condition.

As he went to stand he felt something fall from his shoulders, leaving him exposed to the frigid nighttime air. He looked down curiously to see a woolen blanket resting in his lap.

_Who…?_

* * *

**A/N: And now the fun can begin muahaha! Just... Just don't get mad at Ace next chapter... He knows not what he does. Blame Thatch and Izo!**

**Guess what? We're over 100 reviews *O* I love you guys! Let's try to reach 200 before the story ends! XD We've only got like 5 more chapters! If ****_Reverse_**** can do it then so can we!**

**Hand Status: Same as before since it's only been a day :P**

**To my lovelies~**

**Sealing Mistress: Hehehe glad you do! XD**

**RoXaS707: Lol still angry at Marco? Did this chapter redeem him a little at least? Ace's dealings with women... You'll get to see that next chapter e_e;**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, we should be proud of him! Though he's not doing a very good job of it. Haha kiss a few? XD Well... I'm glad you liked my drawing :) Don't worry it didn't hurt my hand. I kept stopping whenever it hurt (took me a week to make even though it's very simple =_=;).**

**spoons-are-evil: Lol yep! I've never had a hangover but I've seen people who have... It's hilarious if you're not the one who has it :P Weird dream... But I had a weirder one when I took my nap! I dreamt that there was a zombie apocalypse and Marco and Ace were wearing futuristic metal suits and taking them all out! And then there was a dramatic scene where they had to leave behind one of their comrades ;_; Nah, don't be worried. Basically when you dream your brain picks up on random information retained in it and tries to string it together to make some coherent sense, which creates the story for the dream. (Psychology FTW! :D) That's why I keep having One Piece dreams e_e;**

**Gundum-grrl: Well he's TRYING to comfort him but Ace keeps pushing him away :/ *sigh* They're both morons, in my opinion...**

**Portgas D. Paula: Yep! Though in the case of Izo that's probably not a good thing...**

**Stelra Etnae: Izo IS pretty damn epic XD Yeah, you gotta love the drama between them :P**

**azab: Glad you like!**

**alniyat: Chances of that are low, but he IS going to interfere a little ;) Hehe yep things are looking up!**

**Cyborgnetics: If only it were that simple :P This is Ace we're talking about - he has to do everything in a totally outlandish way.**

**sairakanzaki: Well... Let's just say he's a little late next chapter when... I won't say it :P **

**Son Goshen: Hehe yes, sappy romance XD It can be fun in small doses ;) Yep, good for Ace! Though it backfires next chapter e_e Damn you, Izo and Thatch! Ahem. I'll stop here before I start giving away spoilers...**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Lol that's kind of what's happening XD That was an awesome math joke :P Well then here's another snack for you!**

**WeissDragon: Isn't it?! Personally this is my favourite chapter so far. I don't know why, I just like it, even though not much progress is made... It's a prelude to the disaster to come :P**

**(It feels so weird to get the replies done so quickly... I can't get over it XD Anyways, have an awesome night/morning! Adieu~)**


	9. Phase 1

**So I wrote chapter 11 *dances* and thought it was about time I got around to updating this. Funny thing is that this is the only thing I've been inspired to work on this week. Well, this and the bonus chapters for ****_Resolve._**** Yes, chapters with an 's'. I started on the one about Sabo. I'm kind of sad to see that this is half way done. Oh well, I guess it's for the best. It's not a very popular story anyways. Maybe it's because it's MarcoAce. Or because of the shitty premise. Or my shitty ability to write romance. I don't know. But for the fans who DO like this story I have something I'll reveal later on. For now, though, here's the next chapter. Can you guess what Thatch and Izo are up to? Hehehe...**

**Warning: The last scene of this chapter has some mild mature content. As I said, very mild, but I thought I'd put this here for any sensitive people. I'll put a small summary of that scene in the bottom Author's Note for anyone who's not confortable with that kind of stuff. As a warning, though, might not wanna read chapter 10... hehe...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and I'm running out of shampoo. After posting this I'm going to run out and buy some. Oh, I got a new camera! *squeel* Think I'm going to do a MarcoAce drawing based on this story to test out its quality on my YouTube. Figured it'd be appropriate, seeing as I've drawn Sabo from ****_Divide_**** already. Ah, crap, rambling.**

* * *

Ace's face split into a wide grin as they docked at the island, looking it over with fondness. One of his favourite things about being a pirate was exploration; he loved arriving in foreign lands and seeing all there was. There was something about learning of the ways different people lived that fascinated him. But he wasn't going to do any studying at that particular landmass—Izo told him to enjoy himself and damn it that's what he would do.

The freckled boy felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and he looked to see Thatch grinning down at him.

"You excited, kid?"

"Of course," he replied, smirking at the older man.

"Good because I'm going to be your partner for the evening!"

"…Partner?" Ace didn't like the sound of that. Being Thatch's partner was _never_ a good thing.

"Yep!" The redhead looked around before he leaned in close to the boy's ear. "I'll take you somewhere nice."

Ace swallowed nervously. "…Nice?"

"I know a place where some _very_ attractive ladies like to hang out," he elaborated in a whisper.

The freckled man flushed red. He wasn't sure he was ready to engage in… _activities_ like that. No, no, he definitely wasn't. The firm hold his friend had on him, however, said that he didn't have a choice.

"W-wait, I—"

"Let's go!" Thatch shouted, thrusting his fist eagerly into the air as he dragged his friend down the side of the ship with the rest of the crew hurrying behind, each excited to relax and enjoy themselves.

Izo watched as the pair walked off the ship and onto the sandy beach beside them. He was about to leave as well when he noticed the first mate sitting on a crate reading a book. He tilted his head curiously before walking over to the blonde.

"Aren't you going, too?" he asked.

Blue eyes looked up at the crossdresser from behind dark-rimmed glasses. He shrugged and closed the book, keeping his spot with his thumb. "Think I'm going to stay here and relax yoi," he stated, lowering his arms into his lap. In reality he didn't feel a reason to leave the ship; Ann was the one who always dragged him into town so that she would have a companion while exploring. Without her he didn't have any interest in going ashore.

"That so? Hmm…" Izo wasn't planning for that. Still, it could work. "Well, enjoy your reading."

The blonde nodded and opened his book, returning to the spot where he left off.

Izo hurried off the Moby Dick and quickly caught up to the pair who left him behind. Before they even knew he was approaching he'd grabbed onto Thatch's shoulder and pulled him back. "Change of plans," he whispered before explaining in an even quieter tone. The redhead nodded and Izo turned to Ace with a smile. "Have fun!"

Ace was sending a silent 'help me' to the okama which seemed to go unnoticed, as the commander simply waved it off and went in his own direction. The freckled boy sighed, knowing that something bad was going to happen because of the stupid letch leading the way.

* * *

"Oh no. _No_. I'm _not_ going in there."

"Awe, come on! It'll be fun!" Thatch whined, giving the younger a pout.

"Not a chance in hell. I'd rather disembowel myself," Ace stated, grabbing hold of his sheathed dagger to show his resolve. No way was he going to enter the town's red-light district—male or female, he refused to 'pleasure' himself like the redhead so often would.

"You're no fun," Thatch complained childishly.

"Shut up, you stupid old pervert," Ace shot back as he folded his arms and scowled.

"Damn. I was hoping to have a buddy this time. No one's been willing since Marco…"

"That's because you—wait, Marco? _Marco_ went to a brothel with you?"

"Yeah, plenty of times."

"That's hilarious. You've outdone yourself with this one."

Thatch's mouth stretched into a taut line. "It's true! He used to fool around almost as much as I did," he stated. It really wasn't a lie, though the blonde stopped many years ago.

"…"

He noticed the peculiar look on Ace's face and his grin returned. He could tell that the boy wanted to know more. Who wouldn't? Marco was about as stern and stoic as a pirate could get so it was unthinkable for him to play around with women. "Curious?"

A blush rose to the freckled man's cheeks. "No!"

"You're a terrible liar. If you want I could tell you."

"…What's the catch?"

"We'll grab something to eat for now but tonight you come with me to a bar."

"…Deal." Ace knew he would regret that. Any agreement made with Thatch was bound to end in misery. But he wanted to know how different Marco was when he was younger. Wait… How old was he?

* * *

They arrived at a restaurant—far from any brothels, thankfully—and ate dinner. Since most of the cooks took the night off the crew was left to fend for itself. They were all capable, grown men so there wouldn't be any problems… hopefully.

Once the food arrived Ace began gorging himself as usual. He stuffed the enormous amount of sustenance into the hole beneath his nose, causing the other guests to stare. Even Thatch was taken aback—no matter how many times he saw that, he would never get used to it.

"So?" Ace asked between bites, urging the other to explain.

The redhead sighed and began slowly eating his meal. "It's a real shame you won't go meet the ladies; I'm sure they'd love you."

"Get on with it."

"Yeah, yeah." Another sigh left the pirate's mouth. He took a bite out of his steak and was happy to see that it was at least on par with his fellow chefs on the Moby Dick. Then again, Ace's sense of smell was amazing and it's what led them there, so he shouldn't have been surprised.

"So Marco… He fooled around a lot before?"

"Yep, lots. That was about ten years ago, though."

_Ten years? Just how old are you two? No, wait, I don't even…_

"Anything serious?"

"Mmm…" Thatch rubbed his chin as he thought. He didn't follow the blonde's relationships much so it was hard to recall. Besides, it happened a decade ago; his memory was bound to be skewered. "There was one… Even showed her to Oyaji."

Ace's eyes narrowed and a ting of jealously entered his thoughts. He ignored it, though, and instead continued to stuff his face. "…What happened?"

"She died."

"…Oh."

"She came aboard and about a week later there was a severe storm and she was thrown overboard. By the time we found her, she'd drowned. Marco didn't really take an interest in women after that—said they were too fragile."

"…"

"And then you came along." Thatch noted the contemplation on his face and thought it might be better to lighten the mood. His smile returned. "What about you? I'm sure you've been in your fair share of relationships."

"…One."

"Really? Only one? Thought you'd get around more than that… Who with?"

The redhead's voice oozed amusement to the point where Ace was taken aback. Why was the cook suddenly so interested in his personal life? It was suspicious… too suspicious. He didn't want to say. He knew that every time he told Thatch something it ended up blowing up in his face—like when Ann first developed feelings for Marco and their _loving_ companion proceeded to repeat everything she told him. After that who would honestly trust him with _anything_?

"Like hell I'd tell you," Ace snapped, chugging his glass of water and inhaling the second half of his plate.

"Awe, come on. I won't tell."

"_Yes,_ you _would_," he stated, glaring at the older man.

"What's the big deal?"

"…" Like Ace could answer that. If he did the redhead would know exactly who his old love interest was—not good.

"Please~" the man whined, giving his best puppy-dog face.

Ace mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"…Sabo."

Thatch blinked a few times, wondering if he heard that right. He'd heard stories about Ann's brothers plenty of times—she would never shut up about them. While she always told the crew about Luffy's stupid antics and about how he would always get them into trouble, she didn't say much about Sabo. Was that because…?

"…Your _brother_?"

Ace let out a 'cheh' and dropped his head into his palm, scowling in his friend's direction. He knew telling him was a bad idea. "We're not related by blood," he said defensively as a blush rose to his cheeks.

"R-right…" Thatch wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that. As he thought about it more he realized the scenario was the same as when Ann dated Marco—they were bonded siblings. It was a little different, seeing as Ace and Sabo grew up together, but similar nonetheless. "So what happened?"

"Wasn't mutual," he explained dryly, thinking about his time with his brother. He confessed when he was fifteen and Sabo happily agreed to date him, but he could tell that he was forcing himself. He knew that if he rejected his little sister it would leave her crushed so he went along with it. Ann selfishly ignored the signs but eventually the guilt got to her and, well, that was that. Maybe that was why Ace was so adamant about pushing Marco away—he didn't want the blonde to feel obligated to be with him.

"Ah," the redhead responded simply. He could tell that there was more to it than that but said nothing in favour of eating. He didn't want to get on the fire user's bad side… again.

* * *

Ace eyed the iced beverage sitting in front of him at the bar, daring him to take a drink.

"No way," he said, crossing his arms into the shape of an 'x' in a show of disapproval. "Not a chance—not after what happened last time."

"Live a little! It's only one drink," the redhead pressed, waving his own glass in front of the younger.

"Not happening." Ace was determined to avoid another hangover like the one he had before.

"Just one," Thatch begged with a pouting lip.

The freckled man glared at him, mentally calling him a man-child before he reached for the drink and took a very small sip. He hated how Thatch could con him into almost anything… He would regret that later.

The redhead smiled triumphantly, spinning on the barstool to face a couple of woman, courting them with all the usual lines. In the back of his head, though, he couldn't help but feel proud that he was able to pull off phase one of Izo's plan.

* * *

Two hours passed and, despite his best efforts to monitor his alcohol intake, Ace was starting to get a buzz. He could still think rationally… for the most part. Turning his head he scoffed at Thatch who had his arms around two scantily-dressed women hugging close to his chest. He didn't understand what they saw in the commander; he wasn't overly attractive nor was he wealthy. Maybe it was his humour—he always managed to cheer Ace up on a bad day. But what he was _really _wondering was why the redhead brought him along. Why did he need a partner to pick up chicks when he could do perfectly fine on his own?

In the middle of his thinking Ace noticed his view of the commander was being obscured. A short, pale woman sat on the stool next to him. He looked her over curiously, noting her white-blonde hair and delicate curves, silently comparing her to his female form. In a way he was jealous of her. _Stupid natural beauties… Stupid blondes…_

The girl looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled after noticing his stares. She laughed when he frantically turned away and took a hurried drink of whisky.

"Hey," she greeted causally before asking the bartender for a drink of her own.

"H-hey," Ace stuttered in reply, wondering why she was talking to him. Instead of trying to keep the conversation going he favoured staring at the wood of the bar.

For a while they sat in silence, neither acknowledging the other. Ace's thoughts returned to his earlier conversation with Thatch. He still couldn't picture Marco sleeping around no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't in his nature. The phoenix just wasn't like that. But Thatch wouldn't lie about that…

"You one of Whitebeard's men?" the girl questioned as she lightly traced her nails along Ace's purple tattoo.

He jumped at the sudden physical contact and looked at her, silently wondering why she'd taken an interest in him. He nodded. "Second division commander."

"That so?" she asked, studying the mark on his back. "He's a great man."

Ace couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah."

"It's because of him that this island is so peaceful," she stated as she gently touched his shoulder, causing him to tense up even more. Her smile grew. "What's your name?"

"Ace," he replied simply, mentally cursing as he almost went by his old name. "You?"

"Silvia," she said, voice low and soothing.

* * *

Ace wasn't sure how it happened but he suddenly found himself being straddled by the blonde woman. Her fingers tangled themselves in his ebony locks, slowly pushing their faces together. Silvia's hair brushed against his forehead as she leaned in to playfully bite his bottom lip, smiling as he closed the gap between them and kissed her.

He wasn't sure what he was doing. He didn't even remember how he got into a situation like that. All he knew was that they spent the last hour talking and eventually the girl sat on his lap, urging him to react. He complied, though hesitantly. Where was the harm in it? They likely wouldn't get too far and, if they did, he wouldn't remember. Even though he only had two glasses in three hours he wasn't thinking clearly. Did Thatch spike his drink? He wouldn't do that… would he?

Ace pushed the question away in favour of sliding his hands down to Silvia's thighs, feeling her breath hitch as he massaged the delicate skin. They broke apart for air, panting. She gave him a mischievous smile, ghosting her lips over his. He went to move in but she placed a finger over his mouth, much to his displeasure.

Silvia pressed her chest against his as she leaned in close to his ear, whispering in a seductive tone, "Let's find someplace more private."

Ace pouted but realized she was right—they shouldn't be making out in a bar and would only regret it later. Still, he was determined to continue, seeing as he was finally getting a reaction to a woman's touch, and pondered where they could go. Wasn't the Moby Dick empty?

* * *

**A/N: Please don't hurt Ace. Please. I know he's being stupid, but he's still adorable. No, don't get the seastone! Good. Now step away from the cuffs. That's it. And DO NOT go get Marco. Bad idea. Just... Just don't. Meh, you'll see. I think after this next chapter you'll be rooting for Marco instead of Ace, though. Oh, and now you know why Ace was talking so highly about Sabo earlier in the story :P**

**Final Scene Summary: Ace and the girl flirt, get a little intimate, and decide to find someplace more private to continue. Ace remembers that the Moby Dick is supposed to be empty. **

**So, yeah! We learned lots of new things! And even though this isn't one of my complicated stories I left hints and clues for the rest of the story. I'm sure you've noticed them. Well one you probably overlooked, but oh well~ I kind of feel like teasing you guys and putting a preview here. Should I? Hmm... Oh, and as a warning, I am TERRIBLE at writing M-rated content. Seriously I feel like I've let you down because all you pervs were looking forward to it and I've failed you T^T I'm sorry! So, so, SO sorry! I tried, I really did. But I'm just not good at it. In my defense, it's my first time... Please don't hate me ;_; I really did do my best, honest! I guess some people are just more adept at writing that kind of stuff than others... or does it take practice? I don't know. But chapter 10 is really dry and a huge disappointment =_= Anyways, on with the teaser - I mean preview!**

_He took a deep, shuddering breath to calm down. Still, even calm he didn't move. He didn't want to. He wanted to erase those marks on the freckled boy's skin and replace them with his own. Because… he was Ann. And Ann was his. He was hers. Even in that form, which he had such trouble accepting, he couldn't stand it. They were the same, right? So…_

**That's all I'm giving you. You can probably guess what happened. I won't be giving future spoilers, though! MAybe more teasers, but nothing that has to do with the chapter's plot! ...After this. Thought I'd show you what happens to make up for the next chapter being mediocre e_e**

**Hand Update: Much better! Though I still have to take lots of breaks T^T**

**To my lovelies~**

**RoXaS707: Lol love-hate is better than strict hate, at least. And now you got to see a bit of him dealing with women! In summary, he's an idiot. Walked all over him. Nope, hand didn't get re-hurt. I took lots of breaks when making that. It actually took me half a week because of it. That's why there were so many jumps in the video.**

**Portgas D. Paula: You should e_e;**

**WeissDragon: Hehe yep, gotta love Izo! He'll come back in around chapter 12. Nope it was placed by Marco. Remember how he was thinking about it getting cold now that the sun was down? That was right before he gave Ace the blanket. Well the drama really comes in next chapter :P**

**Gundun-grrl: They will be, one day! Just a lot of shit has to happen first because I'm an asshole to them :P But I don't intend for this to be a tragedy like most of my other stories. You're in luck!**

**Stelra Etnae: Wasn't it? XD Well I'm sure by now you can tell that what they're up to is likely very bad for our poor Ace :P Here's the update~**

**Cyborgnetics: Yep, he is. Izo's master plan is going to cause a lot of problems e_e Lol I'm glad you're still reading it! If you like adult stuff then you'll probably be disappointed next chapter, sorry, I tried... T^T But there'll be stuff that I'm better at writing later on! Like the difference of chicken and turkey to Ace... What? I didn't say that. You heard nothing.**

**azab: They screw things up A LOT. But that's their job :P**

**sairakanzaki: Lol it's worse, sadly XD Here's an update!**

**Son Goshen: What did you think he was up to? I wanna see how close you are! Lol his plan isn't fully revealed until later. Wasn't it? I imagined it and was like "awe despite everything Marco's beign so nice and Ace doesn't even know" In a way it's kind of depressing XD**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yes he is. Honestly, I think he's a bigger idiot than Marco in this chapter (though it's mainly Thatch's fault). Hehe yep they should. They cause so much trouble...**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Glad it did! :D Yep, it was Marco who gave Ace the blanket. Gotta love Izo, he's just so epic. I had fun writing out the 'intuition' part and then having him tell Thatch to go make dinner. Honestly, I was tempted to put a crossdressing scene in the story but I couldn't stop laughing at the thought. Muscular, badass Ace wearing girl's clothes... priceless. Sadly the action is shitty u_u I'm terrible at writing adult content. I tried, though! Please forgive me! Well if you like it that much than there's some hope for you. But I'll mention that in later chapters once it's getting closer to the ending.**

**spoons-are-evil: Isn't it though?! It's just so out of place for him! It makes no sense! And yet... Meh, being antisocial is pretty common in adolescence. Nothing to be concerned with. At ages 18-25 you tend to get rid of it, for the most part. Yep, both very big morons. But that's what we love about them ;) Well I said 5 but it might be just a little more than that since I'm not fitting as much into the chapters as I originally planned. Still, it's at least half over. Yep, it was very fast! Probably because I had so many chapters typed out before posting the story. Lol my dreams are VERY fucked up.**

**RexLink: Lol XD Yep, at least he had them. Though that might be a bad thing...**

**alniyat: Glad you liked it! Hope you enjoyed this one as well!**

**(Well, that's that. Thoughts? Opinions? Predictions? Please review! :D There was something else I wanted to say, but... I can't think of it. Hmm... Well, whatever. Adieu~)**


	10. Intensity

**So... here's the long-awaited chapter e_e Please forgive the craptastic nature of it. It was my first time ever writing any form of secual content and I've learned that I'm abolutely horrible at it. But... I tried ;_; Really I did. Forgive me?**

**Warning: This chapter contains adult themes. If you are uncomfortable with sexual content then I suggest you don't read it. For those who don't like mature stories but still want to read more of this fic, there will be a chapter summary in the Author's Note below. And don't worry, there will only be one or two more scenes like this throughout the story. I just put them in wherever I feel they're necessary, not for the hell of it.**

**Question: The plot originally wasn't going to go like this at all (changed as soon as Ace returned to his crew) and only took this direction because a RL friend of mine thought up the (basic) scene with silvia last chapter. I was thinking of writing an alternate version of this that follows the original storyline laid out. While the premise of Ann turning into Ace would stay the same, they story would change drastically from this one once Ace arrived back on the Moby Dick. Like, VERY different. So I was wondering if you guys would like me to write the alternate version after this one is complete. By the way, this story will be finished some time in April. So, what do you think?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. Not at all. (My wrist just snapped really loudly and scared the crap out of me. Yes, I'm that pathietc.)**

* * *

The bar was right next to the docks so their walk was short, hastened by their eagerness to continue. After boarding the ship, Silvia took a moment to look around, smiling in awe. "This is the real Moby Dick," she stated, trying to convince herself more than anything. It seemed she had a fascination with pirates. Actually, thinking back, Ace remembered her mention something about going out to sea one day.

She spun around and grinned, leaning into him for a hug. After pulling away she studied the flustered pirate and was pleased when she saw his erection, licking her lips seductively.

Ace drew her in and began exploring her neck, nipping at the skin below her chin. She moaned her satisfaction and fisted his hair, throwing her head back to urge him to continue. He traced her jugular with his tongue, sucking on a spot near her collarbone. Another wave of pleasure washed over her before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to the ground on top of her.

Ace stared down at the moonlit figure, wondering what he was doing. Could he really go further? Making out was nothing, but when it came to the physical aspects…

Silvia noticed his hesitation and grabbed hold of one of his hands, dragging it across her front to encourage him to continue.

_Fuck it._

Ace bent forward and rolled his tongue along her jaw, eliciting another airy sound to pass her lips. One of his hands fought with the buttons on her shirt while the other slipped beneath the offending cloth, caressing her stomach and creeping slowly to her chest. She shivered under his touch and grabbed the sides of his face, drawing him into a sloppy kiss. Her tongue dove into his mouth and explored, tasting the alcohol that had him so intoxicated.

Her shirt was finally off, opening to reveal nothing more than a bra covering her breasts. Ace froze. Only then did the situation become very real. He looked over her ivory skin, flushed slightly from her escalated body temperature, then sighed. He couldn't do it. He couldn't. Up until then he was going through the motions of typical lovemaking, as he did so many times with his former lover, but seeing a woman beneath him suddenly brought him back to reality. Even if his body was responding and his cock was awaiting pleasure, he couldn't bring himself to continue.

"What's wrong?" Silvia asked once she noticed her partner's pause, pressing her palm into his chest as she awaited an answer.

"I can't," he stated, pushing off her to allow her to sit up. "Sorry." He closed his eyes and sighed. Marco was right—you couldn't just decide what sex you were interested in. Just then, when he saw that he was making love to a woman, he came to a very real understanding of how the phoenix must have felt whenever he looked at him, knowing that his Ann was male.

"Why not?"

"The thing is…" He ran a hand through his sweat-coated locks, trying to calm himself. He could imagine what that girl's reaction would be—a slap to the face, a bit of cussing, and an abrupt leave. Still, he had to say it. "…I'm gay."

Silvia blinked. "…Gay?"

"Yes, gay." It was simpler than explaining he was turned into a man and still held affections for a pirate whose hair resembled a tropical fruit. "I tried, but…"

"It's okay."

"…Eh?"

"It's okay," she repeated. "I understand. To be honest, I wasn't sure I could go through with it, either."

"…Why?" Wasn't she the one who seduced him?

The blonde began buttoning her blouse and looked to the sky fondly, a small smile creeping to her lips despite her night of fun being ruined. "I've been doing this every night for a few weeks now but haven't gotten very far."

Doing what—seducing men?

"My lover died at sea a few months ago. He was a pirate, you know?" She paused to glance his way before continuing her story. "I regret not going with him. We had a fight… I've been trying to forget about him but nothing's working."

Ace's expression softened as he thought about that. It reminded him a bit of the story of Marco's lover—dying amongst the vast ocean waves, his one love separating him from his other. What would that feel like? He tried to imagine Marco being engulfed by the massive body of water. Just the thought was enough to make him want to cry, even if they were no longer together.

"I can't imagine…" He _could_ imagine but didn't want to. The sea gave him freedom and allowed him to escape the confines of his lineage. The thought of his liberation stealing away his love was… horrible.

Silvia's smile widened. "But it's okay; I'll keep trying." Ace rose and offered to help her to her feet. She took the hand offered and stood, albeit shaky from her intoxication. "We should meet again tomorrow night," she suggested.

"Huh?"

"To pick up guys," she said with a wink, laughing when she saw the man blush.

As Silvia went to step she twisted her ankle and fell backwards, dragging a drunken Ace along for the ride. He landed on top of her and asked if she was alright, lifting himself to give her room to breathe.

"Ace…" a deep, masculine voice called in a whisper.

Ace's eyes jolted wide open at the sound as he recognized it. Still hovering over the girl, he turned his head to see a rather dumbfounded blonde. "M-Marco…"

Silvia looked between the two and immediately understood. With a tap to his shoulder she had the man rise with her, being sure not to fall again. She said her goodbyes before leaving but it was only a formality—she knew the man wasn't paying attention to her.

Marco watched the stranger walk off of the Moby Dick and then turned back to the freckled boy, fisting his hands and clenching every muscle in his body. He was absolutely livid and knew he shouldn't be—Ace wasn't _his_—but couldn't help it. Seeing the person he once called his lover messing around with some woman had him angry and, maybe, a little hurt. Even though he was the one who couldn't bring himself to accept Ace…

Ace stared in frozen shock at the man before him. Wasn't the ship supposed to be empty? Why was Marco there? And… why was he so angry? They agreed to go their separate ways, so…

Before he had a chance to say anything he saw the blonde leave wordlessly and escape into the bowls of the ship. He didn't want to leave that little misunderstanding like that—although it was true that Ace originally planned on going all the way with the girl—and chased after him. He entered Marco's room wearing an apologetic face. "Look, I—"

Suddenly he was thrust against the wall by a pair of strong, calloused hands. His breath caught in his throat in surprise and he stared into the man's blue eyes. Something in them made him feel guilty, like he betrayed the first mate. Even though he didn't feel for him…

Marco's eyes scanned the younger's appearance. He saw the small red marks dotted along his neck and torso and bit his lip, tearing his eyes away to study him further. His hair was dishevelled and coated with sweat and, further down, he noticed a prominent erection pushing at the fabric of his shorts. He winced when he pictured Ann in that state—being pleased by someone else.

"M-Marco?" Ace stuttered, trying to push out of the iron grip. His efforts were futile and instead he was force to remain there, unmoving as the first mate looked him over in disgust. "Sorry…" He felt the need to apologise despite them not being together. Still stuck in the mentality of being his 'girlfriend', it felt like he'd done something horribly wrong.

Marco's eyes narrowed, taking in the regret in the fire user's voice. He took a deep, shuddering breath to calm down. Still, even calm he didn't move. He didn't want to. He wanted to erase those marks on the freckled boy's skin and replace them with his own. Because… he was Ann. And Ann was his. He was hers. Even in that form, which he had such trouble accepting, he couldn't stand it. They were the same, right? So…

The blonde leaned forward, his warm breath heating the boy's throat as he ghosted over it.

Ace's eyes widened. "M-Marco, what are you—" His question was cut off when he felt a bite beneath his jawline, causing a needy moan to rise up from his throat. "…Marco?" He shuddered as the touches continued, playfully dancing along his skin as his partner raised his hands to his waist, keeping him firm against the wall.

Ace grabbed onto the blonde's shoulders, wishing to push him away before they went any further, but his strength vanished when he felt a light touch to his groin. Whimpering at the sudden flare in his crotch he looked questioningly into Marco's eyes, only to see him do the same.

When Marco felt the boy rub against his leg as he pulled their bodies flush with one another he looked to him curiously, then remembered the thing between his legs. He didn't dwell on it, though, and instead ran his hand down to the bulge while continuing his oral assault on Ace's chest. He cupped the member and gave it a slow squeeze. Ace cried out in pressure and tightened his grip on his partner's shoulders to keep from falling as his legs went weak.

Marco's hands ventured lower. As he teased the boy's erection with his right he ran his left down his side. Ace's skin felt like fire under the man's touch. He leaned into it in a silent request for him to continue. Before he could do anything more he saw the blonde bend down and within seconds he was in his arms, being hoisted onto the bed and pinned there by his partner's form.

Ace looked at the blonde's face, eyes glossed with pleasure as their fun continued. But Marco never looked him in the eyes. Instead he traveled down to the freckled pirate's midsection, kissing him and nibbling the space above his genitals. The younger moaned his needs, his hips bucking in eagerness.

The blonde stopped in his oral exploration to return to his partner's face, tracing his tongue over the rim of his ear.

"Wh… Why?" Ace managed to gasp out between pants, vision clouded by the euphoria Marco created. That was the first time he was pleased as a man and it was invigorating, but he couldn't forget the way Marco forced himself to just hold him only days before. That couldn't change so quickly. It couldn't and yet he wanted to believe it did because being there, in his arms, was the happiest he'd been.

"I said I wasn't letting you go yoi," the first mate replied, whispering seductively into his ear.

Ace shivered at the sound and raised his arms to the older man's chest, softly tracing his tattoo. His worries quelled, he lifted his head to suck on the skin of his partner's collarbone, eliciting a small groan of surprise and delight. He smiled triumphantly, having pleased the blonde even just a bit.

Marco pulled away from Ace's touch in favour of going back down to thighs, slowly sliding the fabric of his shorts down his legs, revealing the glaring, hard member of his partner. For a moment he just stared, dumbstruck, as he took in the image. Cautiously he pressed his fingers against its length, a shuddering gasp escaping the other's lips.

Ace wrapped his hands around the blonde's neck and pulled him nearer. He urged him wordlessly to continue but was met with no response. When he saw that his partner stopped he raised his head to look at his face, seeing hesitation in his eyes. "…What's wrong?" he asked as his breathing settled.

"I…" Marco was at a loss for words. The situation became very real as he stared at the freckled boy's naked form and he couldn't think straight.

When Ace stared into those blue orbs he was met with the same realization he felt before—that his lover noticed just what was going on. It was just like when he removed Silvia's shirt earlier and then, more than ever, he felt he understood. It wasn't that simple. Of course it wasn't. But he wasn't angry, nor was he sad. It was a huge disappointment but, under the circumstances, he was just happy the blonde was willing to try. The fact that he did everything he could to accept him was enough.

"It's okay," he assured quietly, moving from under the older man. He grabbed onto his shorts and boxers and, still weak from their earlier escapade, placed them back on his hips. As he sat on the bed, giving a brief moment of contemplation, he smiled. "Thanks… for trying."

When he went to get up he felt a warm hand tightly grasp his wrist.

"Ann…" Marco whispered, trying to think of what to say. He didn't want the boy to go but knew that he couldn't continue where they left off. He just… couldn't.

Ace narrowed his eyes when he heard that name. He gave a jaded grin. That whole time Marco was imagining his female form, pretending that his lover was there, unchanged, instead of the man she became. He knew that from the beginning—could tell—but tried to push the thought away, not wanting it to be true. After trying to embrace his current form he was being held back by the touch of that man.

Not once did Marco look him in the eyes.

"I'm not Ann," he mumbled, face downcast as he tried to hide the hurt. If it wasn't for that blonde he might have been able to move on, but with him around everything he tried backfired.

Marco's eyes widened from their half-lidded state and he loosened his grip, freeing Ace and allowing him to stand. The boy made for the door.

"Wait," Marco called, shuffling to the edge of the mattress. He didn't want to let him go. Even if he couldn't go further than that they could stay together, couldn't they? Because that was Ann. That was _his_ Ann—his lover. Even if it wasn't the same as before he still felt something and wanted to hold onto it as tightly as he could, never letting go. "Stay."

Ace shook his head. The awkwardness would remain if he stayed and he didn't need that. He would go back to his first plan of moving on, however hard that would be after the night's events. "Let's just forget it, okay?" he suggested, holding tightly to the knob of the door. "Pretend this didn't happen. It'll be easier that way."

Without being given a chance to respond, Marco watched the boy leave. He slumped forward, placing his head in his heads, going over what just happened. He realized that there was _something_ there—something that said he cared for the pirate in one way or another. But he wasn't given enough of a chance to explore it. He had to try again. Or rather he _wanted_ to try again… Ace wasn't likely to allow any more advances.

Ace stood behind the door for a few seconds to catch his breath. His head was swirling, trying to make sense of the first mate and what he was trying to do. Offhandedly he recalled another man—Sabo—doing the exact same five years earlier. Maybe he just didn't have good luck with blondes. Mentally he swore to himself never to fall for another light-haired man. That wasn't important, though. What mattered was trying to find a way to erase the night from his memories because he knew he would never forget the warm, tender feel of his partner's embrace.

Sighing, he looked down at his stiff member, eyeing it hatefully. If it wasn't for his male 'needs' he might have gotten out of that situation before it escalated to that point. And there it was, glaring back at him.

When he went to move he let out a soft moan as the fabric of his shorts rubbed against his groin. Biting his lip he walked more carefully, waddling down the hall to the bathroom so he could relieve himself. That would be his first experience jerking off and he hated it. _Stupid flying turkey._

* * *

**A/N: So... there you have it. I'm sorry for killing your eyeballs. I tried my best but I guess I'm not suited to writing stuff like this. A for effort? Anyone? ...No? Okay. Well as you can see Ace's experience with Silvia and Marco's experience with Ace kind of overlap, meaning Ace has a better understanding of how Marco feels. But... Well, I'm sure you've noticed the cheesy things the blonde thought so I won't both with it. And I'm sorry for it being cheesy ;_; It seems I can't write non-cheesy romance... Please don't hate me. I... I tried... I really did... I'm just not cut out for this u_u By the way, you all know why Ace was upset that Marco called him 'Ann' right?**

**Chapter Summary: Ace takes Silvia to the Moby Dick to make out. They try to take things further but Ace realizes that he can't go through with it. Marco sees Ace overtop the girl (she fell and brought him with her in a cliche way) and gets upset. Ace goes to his room to explain himself and apologise but Marco pins him to a wall and, in his jealousy and frustration, begins 'pleasuring' him. He also stops, however, and can't go through with it. Ace says it's alright and goes to leave. Marco calls him 'Ann' which upsets him and he leaves. Marco realizes he feels ****_something_**** for Ace while Ace recounts a similar situation that happened with Sabo.**

**Preview**

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Elvis," Ace replied as he poked at his eggs with his fork. Eggs… _Stupid birds_. Why could he never escape those damn birds? Why did Thatch feel the need to cook eggs on a morning when the last thing he wanted to see was the never-to-be offspring of chickens? _Stupid Marco…_ If he was so horny that he was ready to play around with men than he should've found a mate and laid a damn egg! It would give him something better to do than screw up Ace's plan.

**To my lovelies~**

**Portgas D. Paula: You're suspicions are correct :P Here's an update~**

**sairakanzaki: hehe yep. Here's an update~**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: I know right? It's just so OOC for him! Which is why I put it in :P I mean in canon we were told almost nothing of him and everyone tends to write him the same despite that so I wanted to spice things up a bit. And the idea was just too funny to pass up :P Hehe yes it did (tiny spoiler for the next chapter - he did :P) Yep, rooting for Marco from this point on it probably the best thing to do since Ace is still in the mentality of trying to forget him.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe yep, very bad XD Izo is so manipulative~ And Thatch. Poor Thatch. I'd say he's also a victim :P You can blame Izo and Thatch for Ace's drunkeness, though he's being an idiot all on his own.**

**Son Goshen: Glad you're so enthused XD Very glad, actually.**

**zoel black: Thank you~~ Here's an update :D**

**weiss: Hehe glad you're excited XD I didn't want to post this yet because we're steadily losing reviewers, likely due to the time of the year (midterms/finals) and the fact that the contents been kinda bleh, but since I just got chapter 12 done I figured I should. **

**Sealing Mistress: Yes, yes he is XD If you want the truth then yes, this is all a part of Izo's plan. Well, his modified plan at least. Remember when he whispered to Thatch? That's was him changing the plan. I'll go over what his original plan was in a few chapters. **

**Starry Roses: It's fine, I'm just happy to have you review at all :) Thatch aside, Izo's pretty cunning. He has his reasons muahaha. I acutally forgot to name the island :P You can think of one if you want. Or maybe I'll decide on one for future chapters.**

**azab: Well it's not like he planned on getting drunk, Thatch spiked the drink :P**

**Stelra Etnae: Hehe XD Well, you'll just have to see~ Meh, preview, teaser, it's all the same. This time it was a preview. Or just a random bit *shrugs* It's not awesome e_e I can't write anything adult to save my life. I fail as a writer... **

**alniyat: Awe, come on, Silvia's nice! She's a good person and a character who's going to help Ace out later on. Not her fault Ace is having some identity issues :P If you read the last chapter carefully you'll realize he only had two cups and shouldn't have been drunk. Thatch spiked his drink. I shall clear up nothing!**

**(Well there you go! Tell me what you think, please! I've got the next two chapters written already and I'll post the next once I'm done chapter 13 or if I get a lot of feedback. Supply and demand, after all. And please don't rub in the fact that I can't write sexual content, my ego's taken enough of a blow as it is ;_; Adieu~)**


	11. Birds

**I actually enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. Mainly because of the stupid jokes :P**

**If you want me to write the alternate version of this fic once it's complete then please go to my profile and vote :)**

**Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say that I don't own One Piece?**

* * *

"You look like shit," Thatch observed as he cut into his breakfast, watching the bleary young man sitting across the table. At some point during the night the boy disappeared from the bar. Judging from the love bites all over his torso he'd found a girl to accompany him for the night—which completed phase two of the mission Izo put him up to—but the half-dead look on his face stated that he wasn't so fortunate. He obviously had a little fun but perhaps it didn't end well. Maybe he got slapped a few times; Thatch certainly did.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Elvis," Ace replied as he poked at his eggs with his fork. Eggs… _Stupid birds_. Why could he never escape those damn birds? Why did Thatch feel the need to cook eggs on a morning when the last thing he wanted to see was the never-to-be offspring of chickens? _Stupid Marco…_ If he was so horny that he was ready to play around with men then he should've found a mate and laid a damn egg! It would give him something better to do than screw up Ace's plan.

That was serious—Ace wasn't eating his food. _Ace _wasn't eating! What the hell had him so messed up? It couldn't be the girl he picked up, right? They only met the day before. So… what, then?

"What's wrong, buddy? Get ditched?"

Ace sent him a glare. "If I got ditched I wouldn't be covered in bruises, would I?"

"True… What happened? Get beat up?"

The commander sighed, stabbing into the yoke of one egg and watching as the liquid immerged from within it. "They're my battle scars," he said, remembering the stupid blonde calling him 'Ann'.

"Battle scars?" Thatch raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue. Since when was lovemaking a battle?

The freckled man nodded, never taking his eyes off his plate. "I started a war with a chicken."

"…" The redhead paused, knowing that he was most likely referring to the first mate. "You mean Marco?"

"No—a chicken. Marco's a _turkey_."

"Actually he's a phoenix."

"Exactly what I said—turkey."

"…" Yep, it was definitely about Marco. No doubt. But wouldn't being marked by the blonde be considered progress? Why was he treating it like a bad thing? That was part of phase three! "So this 'chicken' made love to you and now you're at war with it?"

"The chicken started it. _I_ was being a responsible adult and apologising. But would he accept it? _No._ He had to go and make everything worse. The next time I see him, he's barbeque."

Thatch blinked. What he said didn't really make sense. There was obviously a lot missing in his story, not to mention referring to Marco as a 'chicken' made for some very odd imagery. And so graphic, too. He was going to cook the first mate alive? Ignoring Marco's ability to heal, that was pretty harsh, especially coming from the person who would swoon over the blonde and get depressed whenever he was having a bad day. Seriously, Ann used to rant whenever Marco would ignore her before they started dating—not knowing that it was because he was supressing his feelings for her—and would talk to him for _hours_ about it. Back then she had such a big crush that she would blush from just seeing his face. Now that same person was threatening to set him on fire. How lovely.

"Can you tell me one thing?" He was certain the commander wouldn't divulge any more information on his nighttime escapades, but he was still curious about something.

"Hm?" Ace looked up from the eggs, now a scrambled mess on his plate, to make eye contact with the cook.

"Why call him a chicken?"

The freckled man's eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a taut line. "Because he's not tasty enough to be a turkey."

Before he had a chance to make sense of that, Ace stood from his chair, mumbled something about not being hungry, and left the mess hall. Thatch sighed, wondering what the hell the youth meant by 'tasty'.

Twenty minutes later he was finishing up his meal when he spotted the blonde enter from across the room. He wasn't in any better condition than Ace—in fact, he might have been worse. His heavily lidded eyes were drooping even more than usual, surrounded by discoloured skin caused by lack of sleep. He didn't look angry or irritated like the other pirate, though. Instead he just had a vacant, empty expression. To a normal person it wouldn't look like much, but Thatch had known him long enough to understand that look meant he spent the night awake, worrying. He was upset.

The first mate grabbed a cup of coffee and sat next to the chair that was usually reserved for Ace, looking over the massacred eggs on the latter's plate with a sigh. It was obvious that he knew who it belonged to and the anger that was used to tear apart the food, leaving everything coated in a layer of golden-yellow yoke. In a way it kind of resembled a mini crime scene. "He was here yoi?"

"Just missed him," Thatch stated, pointing towards the galley's second exit.

"Is he in a bad mood?"

"Said something about barbecuing a chicken—I assume that's you."

Another sigh.

"What happened?" Thatch knew that if anyone would tell him what was going on, it would be Marco. Though the whole of the Whitebeard pirates was considered family, those two were also best friends. While it was normally the redhead confiding in the blonde and asking for advice, every once in a while their roles reversed.

Marco took a sip of his coffee, attempting to wake himself. He wasn't really sure what happened. That was the first time he'd ever been so impulsive and he wasn't sure why he acted the way he did. All he knew was that he felt betrayed and… something else. "I caught him overtop some woman."

"…Oh." Well, it appeared that the redhead's theory was correct. It looked like Izo's plan was a success. They didn't even have to do much meddling—other than forcing him into a bar and spiking his drink, of course. If Ace found out… oh how his anger would flare. But what the freckled pirate didn't know wouldn't hurt Thatch and he intended to keep it that way. "Then what?"

"I… acted on impulse yoi."

Thatch raised his eyebrow and then eyed the blonde suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Marco averted his eyes in favour of looking into the brown liquid on the table, staring back at his reflection.

"You didn't."

"No, I _didn't_ yoi. It didn't get that far."

"So those marks are from you?"

"Some," he shrugged, not really interested in that. In fact it almost looked like not fully confirming the assumption upset him. So that's what it was.

A sly grin made its way onto the redhead's face. He spotted the purple bruise on the first mate's collarbone, noting that what happened the night before wasn't entirely initiated by his friend. "You're jealous."

Marco's eyebrow twitched and he sent a dark glare to the cook. But he couldn't deny it. After the night's events he realized that he _did_, indeed, hold feelings for the freckled pirate. He still didn't know how strong those feelings were, seeing as his pursuit of them was cut short, but knew that there was _something_ there. When Ace left him the night before he felt… crushed. It was like Ann left him. Well, she did, but it felt like it would have before her gender change. And he felt bad when he saw how broken Ace looked after he called him by his female name. It was stupid of him, he knew. Ace was trying to move on. But last night was the first time he really saw him as 'Ann', and he finally started to accept what happened. He couldn't help himself.

"…Shut up."

* * *

Sabo's rest was interrupted by the ringing of the den den mushi on the bedside table. With a groan he shifted out of the arms around his waist and moved to the edge of the bed, swatting tiredly at the snail.

"Hello?" he answered tiredly. After being up most of the night he wasn't in the mood for a conversation. All he wanted was sleep—sleep that he apparently wasn't allowed.

"…Hey."

He woke up at the sound of the voice and hundreds of questions bombarded his bleary mind. At first he didn't recognize it but then remembered the little incident back on his home island. "Ann—er, Ace?"

"…Yeah."

"What's wrong?" His brother sounded like he had no energy. Rarely did Ace ever get so upset and it, no doubt, had to do with his current condition. Being a man must have caused some complications with his crew. Were they giving him a hard time?

"Remember my sixteen birthday? You know, when you—"

"_Yes_," he interrupted, stopping him from repeating that night's events as his face turned an embarrassed red. He wanted nothing more than to forget it. At the time they were… together. He saw that Ann was upset, knowing full-well that she was starting to realize that, while he loved her, he wasn't _in love_ with her. Being the dumb teen he was he tried to cheer her up by engaging in certain _activities _to prove her suspicions wrong—even though they were true. He just didn't want to hurt her. But he couldn't go all the way. "What about it?"

"Why did you do it?"

He thought for a moment. "I wanted to cheer you up." Sabo really didn't understand why Ace was suddenly asking about that.

"And why didn't you like me?"

"I didn't—"

"Just answer the question."

Before Sabo could give a reply he felt the figure move beside him, wrapping its arms around his waist and tugging him closer. "Oi, now's not the time," he said calmly as the other pushed their topless forms together.

"Then make it the time," the other male commanded, tiredly watching the blonde. He noticed the snail-phone in his hand and studied it momentarily. "Who is it?"

"My brother," Sabo replied simply.

"Luffy?"

"No, the one that used to be my sister."

"Ah." He neared the device, grabbing it from the other's hands and pressing close to it. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly in an obviously irritated manner.

"…Who's that?" a confused voice came from the other line.

"He's—"

"I'm his boyfriend," he declared, voice low and completely full of resolve. "Now if you don't mind we're trying to get some sleep. It was my turn to to—"

Quickly the baby den den mushi was snatched out of the man's hands and returned to Sabo's, leaving the blonde to blush more. He didn't need to go into graphic detail about their relationship like he was. "That's enough out of you, monsieur. Now, where were we?"

There was a momentary silence as Ace made sense of what he just heard.

"Sabo, you…" His voice faded as his brain processed the stranger's words. "Never mind, I think I have my answer. I'll be honest—never thought you were gay."

The blonde sighed. "Neither did I." He really didn't. It was kind of unexpected, although once it happened he realized why he was never attracted to Ann. "Anyways, what's this all about?"

"…"

"Just tell me," he ordered, not wanting to have woken up for nothing.

"…I had a fight with a chicken."

"…A _chicken_?"

"Who won?" the third man asked, overhearing the conversation and pressing his chin into the crook of Sabo's neck.

"I think we both lost. I'm trying to regroup just in case he starts round two."

"Try barbecuing it," Sabo's lover said, amused by the odd conversation.

They heard a chuckle come from the other line. "I like the way you think. What's your name?"

"Trafalgar Law," he said simply.

"Law, huh? Think I heard of you somewhere. Rookie?"

"You could say that."

"Sabo, I hope he's legal. If he's Luffy's age you're in deep shit."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "He's nineteen."

"You're lucky."

"Would it matter if I wasn't? Not like the law really matters to a pirate," Law mused, speaking into the blonde's ear.

"Just shut up already." Sabo pushed his lover's face off his shoulder and returned to his conversation with Ace. "So who's the chicken?"

"…"

"You called me so I have a right to know."

"Marco."

"The phoenix?"

"The chicken."

"I thought you called him a turkey."

"He's not good enough to be a turkey. Because of that I killed his offspring."

Law's mouth curved into a wicked grin. "I think we'd get along well."

"The feeling is mutual." The smile was evident in Ace's voice.

"So what exactly happened?" Sabo asked, trying to get the conversation back on topic. He didn't appreciate his lover assisting in the distractions.

"Remember my sixteenth birthday?"

"Yeah."

"That."

"…Oh." So it appeared that Ace's lover tried to keep their relationship the same but it didn't work out so well. He supposed the gender change was too much for the poor guy. Or maybe he just wasn't ready for something so drastically different from the usual.

"It gets worse." Sabo wasn't sure he wanted to hear anything more than that. He knew his brother was probably a lot more shaken than he appeared—always was. "He was going to propose. This little mess kind of screwed me over."

"…Propose?"

"Yep."

"…Sorry."

"Ah, forget it. I'll get over it. And I kind of got revenge when he found me on top of this chick."

Sabo's eyes narrowed. "Ace… What did you do?"

"I embraced being a man!"

The blonde sighed. While that would ordinarily be a good thing, he didn't think the freckled youth would ever be able to love a woman the same way he loved his bird. He remembered in the older letters they exchanged Ann would always mention something about the first mate—even if it was small. It was kind of cute, albeit annoying.

"But… it didn't work out too well. I apparently don't like breasts."

He rolled his eyes. As troublesome as it was, he wanted to comfort the stupid hothead. Doing so over the phone wouldn't suffice. "Where are you?"

"We're docked at an island near the Red Line, about to head further out."

"Law and I will stop by," he stated.

"And why don't I get a say in this?" the surgeon asked, sending a glare of suspicion over to his lover.

"You owe me for last night, you psychopath."

"…Fair enough."

"Thanks, Sabo. And tell my brother-in-law I look forward to meeting him."

"Wait—since when did I get married?"

_Click._

"Seems like an interesting specimen," Law said as he slid back under the covers.

"Don't try anything."

"I won't, I won't. I'll keep my studies to the chicken."

* * *

**A/N: So I added SaboLaw randomly to this because... blame my ****_Divide_**** readers. They've been mentioning that pairing since chapter 4 and made me curious e_e; So this is an experiment. Don't worry if you don't like the pairing because there isn't going to be much of it and nothing at all explicit, they're just going to sort of be there so I can see how it works and IF it works.**

**We're already at 155 reviews! That's awesome guys! :D Let's try to beat ****_Skip _****now muahaha! (I've said that in like all of my recent updates o.o)**

**To my lovelies~**

**Perona-chwan: Thank you for that ;_; Hehe glad you like! I can't help but be cheesy, sadly u_u Lol your review was not long at all XD And I love long reviews anyways.**

**RoXaS707: Lol I'm glad you enjoyed it XD I appreciate it, so thank you. **

**WeissDragon: Yes, it is very awkward. There's still one more scene to go and it's going to feel so odd writing it e_e; No, it means a lot! I appreciate it! **

**UchihaLuci: Glad you like~**

**Portgas D. Paula: Nah, they could be plenty worse. At least he's still alive!**

**Stelra Etnae: Yep, Silvia still has a role to play! Haha that image is just awesome! See why I wanted to do a fic about Ann becoming a boy? It's just so messed up and ridiculous and I love it. Lol I enjoy reading stories that have a lot of romance and the occasional adult scene. I only like sexual content if it advances the story, not if it's just for the sake of it. Hehe I enjoyed writing the part with the eggs very much :P**

**Sealing Mistress: You'll find out what Izo's whole plan was in chapter 13 :) Honestly I feel sorry for him too lol.**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Hehe XD We all knew it wasn't going to go through to the end. Well he was disgusted at one point, but it was because Ace was with Silvia, not because of Ace himself :) Hehe yeah, he's having issues forgetting about him. And that's why he called Sabo!**

**sairakanzaki: Hehe glad it made you feel awkward! That means I succeeded! He realizes. As you see from this chapter he's starting to really think about everything, finally.**

**limeonysnippet: Thanks, I'm glad you think so! I was so worried about it T^T I will~**

**Son Goshen: I know, right? I just thought it would be awesome for him to throw that out there. Nope, Silvia's awesome like that. She's a plot device, after all! (After writing ****_Imagined Life_**** I feel bad for saying that =_=;) Hehe yes, Marco is a jerk for doing that. Yay~ I'll be putting the poll for the alternate version up now so you can vote officially :) Has it? I dunno... sounds the same to me. Except I use more purposful fragmented sentences. **

**azab: I agree, poor Ace.**

**Sven-Churlinov: He's not. If he was there wouldn't be so much drama over him being a man.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yeah, he's not, but blame that on Sabo :P Yep, Izo is a freaking genius. Manipulative as hell. Hehe well Big Brother Sabo is on the way so we shall see :D **

**Cyborgnetics: Yep you kinda forget when you're so used to it. Originally I was just going to have Marco accept it but realized that would be unrealistic. Yes, very happy XD**

**Starry Roses: Hehe, too bad, the summary kinda really sucked in comparison. But I understand! I didn't used to be comfortable with mature themes either. But you can read this one because there's only mild references :)**

**pumpkintofu: Lol calm down, it's not a big deal XD You're exaggerating. A lot. Yep, he's alive~ Honestly he's becoming one of my favourite One Piece characters and killing him off just makes me sad. Heh glad you like it, then! Nope, take as much time as you need! I know how it is - next week is finals *shiver* I'm just happy you decided to read and review at all :) Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic~ **

**Haruka-desu: Careful not to inflate my ego too much, it might break XD Seriously glad you like my fic though.**

**yaoifan124: Hah I loved your review XD So amusing~ They're progressing, slowly but surely :)**

**alniyat: Hehe isn't she? She gets even better later ;) Yeah... That plays into the story later. Yep, they're morons alright =_=; I'm glad you guys seem to like it! Never realized how hard it was to write sexual content... I commend the writers of porn because it's harder than it looks :P Well telling you wouldgive spoilers ^^; But one thing I can tell you is that they don't find out Ace is Ann like they did in this fic, which changes a lot. And Ace decides to accept being a man and trying to start over before he even leaves his home island and those two things are what cause the rest of the story to be very different.**

**(So... There you go! I'm going to watch mindless YouTube videos and freak out over finals next week so I'll see you next time! Adieu~)**


	12. A Bird to a Flame

**This chapter's kinda meh and sappy but necessary. Don't worry, the next chapter will be much more fun! Sadly we are reaching the end, though. Only 4-5 more chapters and the epilogue. Tragic, isn't it? But I might be making the alternate version! So remember to vote on my profile!**

**Oh! And keep in mind that**** this was originally how the fic was going to end**** before I expanded it with Sabo, Law and a few other things. Yep, be happy. This was going to be the last chapter once upon a time. But I thought you guys deserved to see a little development and wanted to mess around with SaboLaw a little more.**

**Also, notice our new image for this fic? That's right; I drew Ann :D If you wanna watch the video of me drawing/colouring it you can go to my YouTube channel (link on my profile).**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and got nothing funny to say. Sorry.**

* * *

Marco tensed, finally catching a glimpse of the second commander. He spent a good portion of the day looking for him, but the boy kept going ashore and coming back so he managed to miss him in the morning. There he was, though, leaning against the railing and looking over the docks. He could finally talk to him. But he wasn't sure what to say. What _could_ he say? He wasn't even sure of what he wanted to ask. So he stood a ways away, just staring, trying to phrase a coherent sentence in his head. What did he want?

His hesitation caused his downfall. Before he could approach he saw Ace shout down to someone, waving merrily before hopping over the rail. Quickly Marco went to the edge of the ship to see who he was with, scowling when he saw a female with white-blonde hair. It was the girl from the night before—the one whose _fun_ he ruined.

* * *

"So who is he?" Silvia asked, eyes shining with amusement. After their little encounter the day before she seemed quite eager to discover his relations with the first mate.

"He's nobody," Ace replied without so much as a pause, face showing his seriousness.

"Awe, come on! Tell me! You're interested in him, right?"

"W-what?" The freckled man's face heated into a blush. Was it really that easy to tell?

She laughed. "Well he's interested in you, at least. Did you see his face? I can only imagine what his reaction would be if we hadn't stopped."

Oh god. Ace tried to imagine it: Marco catching him inside a woman, her cries echoing out into the night as he—that was a horrible image. _Never again._

It was sunset and, as they agreed the night before, they were going to pick up guys. Correction: _Silvia_ was going to pick up guys and Ace was just accompanying her. He needed to get away from the ship for a while and wished to keep himself from thinking of the night before. It was hard to get it out of his head, though. In all honesty, despite how he acted during the day, he was happy Marco gave it a shot. He wasn't sure what went through the blonde's mind back then, nor what made him do it, but he was thankful nonetheless. It made him feel close to the man. He wouldn't allow something like that to happen again, though. It was too disheartening.

"Marco doesn't like me," Ace stated with a half-smile on his face. He stared ahead into the streets, focusing on nothing in particular.

Silvia caught the sad tone and frowned, looking to the much taller male. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't like men."

* * *

Ace returned a lot earlier than expected. He thought he'd be out all night, keeping Silvia company, but that wasn't the case. In fact only two hours later he was making his way back to the Moby Dick. He managed not to have any alcohol that time, probably thanks to a certain redhead not being there. Despite the incident days before, he didn't drink much. That was a one-time thing. All things considered, he felt pretty good.

When Ace arrived on the ship he immediately felt drowsy. Knowing what was coming, he hurried over to the wall of the ship and rested against it, awaiting his next fit. As he sat there, looking out into the dark sky, he felt a bit lonely. Normally it wouldn't bother him but something about the stars that night reminded him that he was alone. Marco used to sit with him on deck when no one was there. They used to go on watch together.

As he looked over the ship he thought he saw something walking towards him, but his eyes began to flutter shut. He couldn't make out who it was or what they wanted. He didn't care, either. He was just so tired…

"Hey—"

* * *

Marco sighed. Of course the boy would have a narcoleptic fit right as he walked up to him. Of course. Because the world liked to screw with him. Nothing could ever go as planned.

He looked over the calm, sleeping face of his former lover. When he was asleep he looked a lot like he did before the gender change—a lot like Ann. So, even though it still felt a little awkward, he sat down next to him, waiting for him to rise. They used to do that a lot, didn't they? They would always wait until everyone filed into the hall for dinner and then headed outside just to talk and get some time away from the crew. The silence was nice. The air was nicer. And Ann's narcolepsy never ceased to amuse him.

Except then.

He couldn't help but wonder if Ace was faking his narcolepsy to avoid their talk. If he was then it was futile—the blonde was prepared to wait until morning if he had to because… there was something on his mind. He stayed awake into the small hours of the morning thinking about it and, though he wasn't sure what conclusion he came to, he knew discussing it with the freckled youth would give him an answer. That's all he wanted—an answer.

When Ace finally began to wake, Marco couldn't help the relieved smile that made its way onto his face. He was glad—nervous, but determined. Last night was… confusing. So many things went through his head. Why did he do that? Why was he jealous? Why was Ace so determined to keep away from him? Why was _he_ keeping away from Ace?

"Hey," he greeted simply from his place beside the freckled man, arm resting lazily on his bent knee.

Ace sat up groggily and gave a large yawn, rubbing his eyes as he tried to register the figure next to him in the dark night. He scowled when he realized it was Marco. What did he want? What could he _possibly_ have to say to him after what happened the night before?

"Go lay an egg," he shot, still accustomed to the bird jokes he'd used all day. They were his way of dealing with his frustrations and the only thing that seemed to keep him from thinking of the activities they previously engaged in.

The blonde rolled his eyes and sighed. "Very mature of you, Ace."

The man in turn stuck out his tongue childishly and crossed his arms just to spite him. It wasn't the first time he didn't act his age and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He was known well for his jovial attitude, which became more prominent whenever he was stressed. He had trouble keeping serious in 'heavy' situations, especially ones that upset him—like seeing the chicken who confused him more than the reason they used snails to communicate across long distances.

"I want to talk, alright?" Marco asked.

"Tough," Ace spat, turning away.

Marco groaned. "I'm serious, Ace. We _need_ to talk yoi. About all of this," he stated, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. His grip was firm, a silent warning that he wasn't about to drop the subject.

"About what? About the fact that I have a dick or that you like women? As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason for us to talk." The pirate wasn't used to being so rude to the first mate. They hardly ever fought and he never felt any reason to avoid him… until that moment, that is. He'd rather forget about that stupid incident. They were both just being morons.

"Let's try again."

Ace's eyes widened and he turned to face the blonde, looking much like a child being told a secret. He couldn't have heard that right. No, no, no, his mind was playing tricks on him. He was hearing things. Marco shouldn't want to try _anything_ after that disaster in the bedroom. "…Eh?" Despite his inner protests, that short sound was all he managed to produce.

"Last night… It wasn't so bad. Just… sudden yoi. We can take it slow," he suggested, shocked by his own words. Marco wasn't sure what he was saying but the more he thought about it the more he agreed with his own words. Of course he froze up; they just jumped right into sex without warning. He didn't hate that Ann was a boy—that she was Ace—but he still needed time to adjust. He'd never been with a man, not once. That's why the awkward feeling in his chest wasn't so bad. He was nervous, even excited, being around the youth. Because Ace was Ann and he didn't care what the gender was so long as he had his lover. He'd have to get used to it, that's all.

Ace blinked back his shock and his eyebrow twitched. He twisted around to fully face the blonde, pushing away the tiny bit of hope that found its way into his eyes. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Screw that!" No way would he just suddenly say something like that. It was another lie, just like the others.

"I'm serious yoi," Marco stated, looking directly into grey eyes.

Ace turned away, clenching his teeth as he stared at the floorboards. Marco looked at him. He could never look at him when he was lying, so… But that didn't change what happened last night. It was a disaster. "You… You didn't look at my face," he said in a whisper, curling his hands into fists.

"Huh?"

"Last night you didn't look at me. Despite everything else you did you wouldn't get close enough to my face to kiss me. You're… You're just trying to pretend everything's the same. It's not. I'm not _Ann_, Marco."

"I know yoi."

"No, you don't! You—" Ace spun his head up to look at the blonde when suddenly his lips felt a familiar pressure. His eyes went wide as he stared at Marco's closed eyes only inches from his own. What? What was happening? Why?

Marco pulled away and immediately turned to look across the deck, trying to hide his blush. "Happy?"

"What… What was that?"

"A kiss," the first mate replied, stating the obvious.

"I-I know that, Pineapple. I just… I mean… _Why_?"

"I care about you yoi. It doesn't matter if you're Ace or Ann. Let's try yoi. Start from the beginning," he said, still looking away.

"B-but you like women. And I—"

"Just shut up and accept yoi," Marco commanded, sighing in annoyance. Sometimes the boy was too stubborn. He thought about things too much. It would be nice if he could just take things as they were without over-analyzing them.

Ace turned and stared into his lap, heat rising to his face. A long silence dragged on as he contemplated the other's words. He wanted to believe it. He wanted it to be true. If it was… If the blonde was really willing to try, then…

He nodded.

Marco smiled softly, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Ace accepted. Ace accepted and they could be together. He had his lover back. Wanting the moment to stretch on into the night, he looked at the stars. They were all sprawled against the velvet sky, bringing a little light to the blackness of the sea. How long had it been since the two of them sat out there together?

A touch brought him away from his thoughts. He felt a hand slip into his and looked over to see a rather flustered Ace who was doing everything he could to keep his gaze away from the blonde. Face a light shade of pink, he couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind: adorable. Simply fucking adorable. Like Ann. Really, why did he think they were different? She hadn't changed… aside from her new member, of course. It was actually pretty funny to see the toned pirate make the same expressions as the tiny girl he held only a month before. Smiling, he returned the hand's grip, squeezing it tightly within his own.

Ann was back.

* * *

Izo leaned forward against the rail on the upper deck, watching the two below with determined eyes. Then the crossdresser turned to look at her redheaded partner-in-crime, grinning smugly and giving him an I-told-you-so kind of look.

Thatch gawked at the couple on the lower deck, blinking with wide eyes as he took in the scene. After how they acted during the morning he was certain things were over between them; Marco looked like he had given up and Ace just seemed to despise the first mate whom he dubbed 'the chicken'. Yet there they were, hand-in-hand, leaning against the wall to the galley. Together.

He turned to the dark-haired man he'd allied with, still clearly showing his shock. "How did you know they'd do that?"

The cocky look on the crossdresser's face grew with that. "I told you; my plans are flawless."

* * *

**A/N: So yeah. Told you it was sappy. Don't worry, though, because the next chapter will have more funny, light-hearted parts in it. I just needed to get this out of the way. Bet you didn't expect this eh? I bed you all thought that Sabo was going to show up and bash Marco. Nope, the brother and surgeon have a different role to play :P A****lso, glad to see that everyone liked SaboLaw! I still find it to be a very random couple but I guess it's not so bad. I guess I'll need you guys to give me your updated opinion on how I write them at the end of the fic, eh? If you're wondering about the chapter title, it's a play on the saying "like a moth to a flame" so... yeah.**

**Oh! Recommendations, right! Well I'm sure I've said it before but _So I Can Be the Snake_ has recently been updated and it's an amazing MarcoAce fic. Seriously, beautiful and adorable and a must-read.**

**Only 22 reviews away from 200! Let's do it! :D (I want all of my fics to pass ****_Skip_**** hehe...)**

**To my lovelies~**

**Portgas D. Paula: Lol so can I. It a hilarious image. They would indeed. At least in this fic :P Not so much in ****_Divide _****or the surprise I have for you guys.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe well they don't really have that type of relationship in ****_Divide_**** either, it just looks like that because I haven't revealed anything about their shared pasts. In fact, I just realized I haven't mentioned Law's past to you guys at all. Oops, I was supposed to do that by now ahahaha... Oh well, I'll fit it in somewhere. Hehe maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Yep, she's coming back. She'll be in the next chapter, too, with a bigger role. And I had fun writing that part :P**

**Gundum-grrl: Hehe oops, sorry XD Sabo didn't need to :P He figured it out on his own! We should give him a cookie.**

**Son Goshen: Lol XD Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, then. What a weird debate o.o I will, don't worry. Since the most angsty part of the fic is over I'll have room to add them in. Lol probably. Who knows? XD I never ignore reviews!**

**Jellyfish-Chu: It's weird, isn't it? In my other fic people kept saying they should be together and I was like "o.o" but decided to try it out in this fic and this is what happened. Lol you do that! Glad you like~**

**spoons-are-evil: Hehe glad you did. The little jokes are the reason it was my favourite chapter to write. Lol that would be VERY entertaining. Now I wanna try that out... But I can't. It wouldn't go with the plot, sadly u_u And now I have finals NEXT week. The university messed up on the dates they sent out *sigh***

**Haruka-desu: Everyone's been saying that XD Well here's an update~**

**Swinging Pendulum: Well I'm glad you finally decided to review ^^ Hehe glad you enjoyed it! And thank you!**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Lol yep they got along pretty well, which was weird for me to write since they don't get along at all in _Divide_ XD Yep, poor Marco. And the chicken jokes will continue from here on out, even though they're patching things up *sigh***

**Stelra Etnae: No it doesn't :P I don't know why so many people from _Divide_ want them to end up together. Don't worry, Sabo and Law should be showing up next chapter. Haha I watched it and loved it XD That was awesome, thank you for showing me.**

**RoXaS707: Hehe glad you like! Don't worry, they'll be showing up sometime next chapter~**

**Mugiwara Otome: Yep he has :P Here's an update~**

**Cyborgnetics: If you reread the last chapter carefully you can find out who tops :P Haha I know what you mean. Kitsune is a genius!**

**WeissDragon: Lol awesome reaction XD Don't worry, they'll be back next chapter!**

**Starry Roses: There, they made up. Happy? :P Funny thing is they messed up the dates for finals. I have mine on the 24th even though the 11th is the last day of school o.o Lol yes he did. Remember early on in the fic? Thatch told Ace that, which is what got Ace all depressed. Lol if they're idiots then how did they (or rather Izo) know that they would get back together?**

**alniyat: Good! Now let's hope the voting continues like that. I'm glad you think so :D They shall meet next chapter! And I have a few funny scenes planned for it muahaha. Well he sorted it out! Now they can try to adjust :P**

**RexLink: Glad you think so!**

**sairakanzaki: Don't worry, Marco will be VERY jealous next chapter over many, many things. Is that a spoiler? Oh well. Here's an update~**

**teengens: Lol I think you're the first person who said they couldn't see it XD But I understand how you feel. Even I don't get it. **

**azab: You are quite welcome :)**

**pumpkintofu: Lol you're exaggerating XD Personally I find them very OO, especially as the story goes on :P But glad you like! Hehe seriously you're exaggerating, the end wasn't that big of a deal XD Well it causes them lots of issues later on (if you've read more you'll know this) but I don't plan on it being a tragedy so it's fine. Well... I can't really say that. The epilogue is pretty sad at the end, but only if you read between the lines.**

**Ern Estine 13624: Glad you like!**

**(We got... *counts* 22 reviews last chapter! Yay~ That's seriously impressive. Pat yourselves on the back! And now that this is updated I shall take a very long, well-deserved shower. Why do I deserve it? Because I'm awesome. Why am I awesome? Because this is my third update in three days. And I shall work on more writing once my shower is over and I delve deeper into the plot of Bioshock Infinite. Such a beautifully animated game~ Ah, but I don't have the money to buy it =3= Sigh, that's life I guess. Crap, I'm rambling again. Really need to stop that. I'll go now so, um... if you're waiting for another update feel free to spam my DA and YouTube, just not here. Okay? Okay. Fair enough? I'll shut up now.)**


	13. Permanent Ink

**Sorry for the delay! I had exams until yesterday and basically spent the majority of my time studying psychology. What fun. I thought my brain was going to emplode with how much I had to remember. But now I'm back :D And there are only 3-4 chapters left, plus the epilogue (maybe less). And for those of you who haven't voted on the poll on my profile about the alternate version of this story, feel free to do so :) I'll keep it open until we're finished.**

**For anyone looking for an awesome MarcoAce fic, try Son Goshen's new story ****_Fairy Tale_****! I love it :D**

* * *

"Are you sure?" Ace asked as he stepped into the bedroom and eyed the bed. He couldn't help but think of the night before when he saw it. "You said you wanted to take it slow; I wouldn't call sleeping in the same bed 'slow'."

"It's fine yoi," Marco replied as he shut the door behind them. Sure it would be a little strange and he had no doubt that the first few nights would be awkward, but that was where Ace belonged—beside him. It was _their_ room, not _his_.

Ace nodded, the curvature of his lips indicating a hint of relief through the black of the night as he trotted forward and slipped under the warm, familiar covers of the bed. He shifted to the edge by the window—Ann's usual spot. Face bathed gently in the moonlight, the scent of must, the sea and a certain tropical fruit filling his nostrils, he closed his eyes.

Satisfied with the look of peace on his partner's face, Marco laid down beside the freckled youth, feeling more comfortable than he had since the last night he spent with Ann. Everything was coming together. They would adjust and go back to the way things were. It all started then.

As he stared into the wood of the ceiling, a thought crossed his mind. The more he pondered it, the more it began to bother him. He turned to Ace with a curious expression. "Hey," he began, watching as the boy's eyes fluttered open.

"Hm?" Ace looked to the blonde, eyes drooping slightly.

"Where'd you sleep before this?"

Ace's response was confusion as he rolled the question around in his head, trying to contemplate it in his bleary state of mind. "Oh, well…" He turned to the ceiling as he drudged up the memories. "In the beginning I stayed on deck. But then it rained so I stayed with Thatch a few times. And—"

"Wait, _Thatch_?"

The young pirate blinked a few times, wondering about that reaction as he nodded.

Marco paled. Of all the people he could have went to, his lover arrived at the door of the man known by name at every brothel in the Grand Line. Sure he was the blonde's closest friend, and Ace being a man practically assured that the redhead harboured no ulterior motives, but the thought wouldn't leave his mind. He felt like that more so because it was his fault Ace didn't have a place to stay before then. If he just manned up and accepted him sooner…

"Sorry," he apologised, looking away from the younger male to hide his guilt.

"For what?"

"I was stupid yoi."

"What do you expect? You're a chicken," Ace replied teasingly, sticking out his tongue when he saw the irritation on the other's face.

"Man-child," Marco shot back, rolling his eyes when he saw his partner pout.

"What do you know? You're just some blue turkey."

"I thought I was a chicken yoi," he stated, raising an eyebrow in curiosity and amusement.

"You're whatever I say you are. Right now you've been downgraded to 'pineapple'."

A silence fell between them before, moments later, they both chuckled softly, nestling closer yet staying far enough so they didn't touch. After all, they agreed to take things slow and damn it they weren't going to cause more problems by going against that.

As his laughter settled, Ace looked into the blonde's face, barely illuminated by the light seeping in through the bedside window. For the first time in weeks, everything felt _right_. "…It feels like a dream."

"Hm?"

"Being a man," he elaborated.

The first mate took that moment to size-up the youth resting beside him, eyes resting on the curves of the muscles in his shoulders and forearms. "I guarantee you are yoi."

Ace pouted. "I know." Turning to face the sky behind the glass, his smile returned. "But it's just like before, isn't it?"

Marco saw the relief on the other's face and slowly a grin began tugging at his lips. When was the last time he felt so calm? "…Yeah."

* * *

Wakefulness returning, Marco yawned and stretched, feeling well-rested for the first time in more than a month. It was great. He shifted to face the other half of the bed, opening his eyes as his awareness returned and senses adjusted to the light of the day. But something wasn't right; the bed was empty.

The blonde bolted upright, continuing to stare at the empty space on the mattress. Even the warmth had vanished. But that couldn't have been right. Ace was there when he fell asleep. He was lying right alongside the first mate.

Unable to think clearly in his half-asleep state, Marco lifted himself out of bed and dragged his feet to the door, not bothering to change. He headed straight for the mess hall, knowing that the first thing his lover thought about when he woke was food. As his clouded thoughts began to settle, he realized that Ace waking before him—albeit rare—wasn't a big deal. Why was he panicked over something so small?

When he pushed the door open he immediately spotted Ace sitting in his usual spot across from Thatch. The tension in his shoulders evaporated and he relaxed as relief filled his anxious mind. He was stupid, worrying so much over something so small. But losing him again… Marco couldn't handle it.

After returning to his usual calmness, the blonde sauntered over to the pair and took his usual seat. He glanced at the freckled pirate as he shoved copious amounts of food down his throat, smiling as he took in such a familiar image.

It took only moments for Ace to notice him. When he did he grinned at the other, mouth still full of whatever had the misfortune of being his breakfast. He hurriedly swallowed and wiped his chin clean of the juices from his meal. "You're awake," he stated plainly, reaching for another helping of bacon. "I tried getting you up earlier but you wouldn't budge."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Earlier as in when?"

"About two hours ago," he replied, stabbing into the meat with a fork.

And then the blonde realized it. "You've been eating for two hours yoi?"

Ace gave him a bizarre look. "Of course not. I was catching up on my duties."

Ace—Portgas D. Ann—thought about work before food? There was something seriously wrong with that. In fact it was such an outlandish claim that it was mildly disturbing.

Amidst his mental wanderings, Marco became aware of the laughter the redhead across from him was holding back. He eyed his crewmate suspiciously, wondering what got such a rise out of him. And then he realized it, spinning to once more face the freckled pirate. "Ace…"

The youth froze when his name met his ear, stopping just before he could take a bite out of his next morsel. He swallowed heavily, shivering as he began to recognize that tone of voice.

The blonde's eyes narrowed further. "What did you do yoi?"

Ace visibly paled at that, sweat beading down his neck. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"My face—what's on it?"

No sounds were made other than from the shuffling and eating of their crewmates. Finally, through his chuckles, Thatch was able to answer for his friend. "Permanent marker," he stated before bursting into another wave if hysterical giggles.

Marco scowled at the redhead. When he went to turn back to his lover, however, he found he was nowhere to be seen. _He got away_.

* * *

Marco sighed as he spotted the freckled pirate hiding behind a crate from his spot in the crow's nest. He'd been sneaking around ever since breakfast, likely trying to avoid facing the wrath of the Whitebeard pirates' famous phoenix. The situation was similar to the day before—they weren't talking to each other—but different. He felt… satisfied. Sure Ace was hiding from him, but it was because of a far more jovial reason than his previous avoidance. He wasn't angry or upset with his partner. Ann pulled stupid pranks on him all of the time—a learned behaviour courtesy of Thatch.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw the pirate childishly slip behind a stack of supplies sprawled out on deck that the fourth division was carrying aboard. Childish and playful—Ace was acting more and more like he used to as Ann. Maybe the differences he thought he saw before were all situational. Maybe it was his fault his partner seemed different.

His attention was pulled from the pirate when a slew of whistles and hollers sounded from across the ship. Curious, Marco turned to face the commotion. His interest was quickly replaced with irritation when he saw the familiar face of a bleach-blonde woman boarding the ship. Some of his crewmates began surrounding her, talking to her and questioning her. She simply smiled and replied, though he couldn't make out what they said. Eventually Jozu hollered to Ace, causing him to emerge from his hiding spot and quickly jog over to the group. That was even more upsetting.

As he watched their interaction—a few exchanged words followed by a slew of laughter—he couldn't help but scowl. That woman was the one who…

He jumped a bit when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning, he spotted Kingdrew beside him.

"Your shift's over," he stated.

Giving a nod, Marco headed down to the main level. While he was happy to be able to confront Ace and his _friend_, he couldn't help but wonder if it was a good idea. Ace chose him, so shouldn't he just trust him? Sure he saw him top her, but… The more he thought about it, the more disturbed he became.

The blonde stood a distance away, watching as an internal battle raged within him. What to do? Eventually the crowd dispersed and the two left turned to him and waved. Though reluctant, he marched over.

When Ace saw his face, he shrunk back. "…Still mad?"

Heaving a sigh and ignoring the amused smile on the woman's face, he shook his head. "It's fine yoi."

Ace slouched in obvious relief. He smiled at the older and extended a hand, gesturing to his companion. "This is—"

"Silvia," the girl finished, beaming up at the first mate.

Marco's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "We've met," he stated as his hand snaked across Ace's waist, pulling him close in an uncharacteristic show of possession and causing the latter to blush. He didn't trust her. "She's the one you brought back to the ship."

Ace blinked a few times before dropping his mouth in shock and realization; he never straightened things out with his lover. Immediately he spun to face the phoenix, flustered as he tried to figure out what to say. "I-it's not what you think! I mean, well, it _was_, but I didn't—er, _we_ didn't—well…"

Marco quirked an eyebrow and Silvia laughed at his blatant nervousness, causing the red on his face to burn brighter.

Pulling his mouth into a taut line, Ace tried to continue. "…It didn't get that far."

"So you didn't try to have sex with her yoi?" There was an obvious tone of disbelief in his voice.

"…I did," he admitted, hanging his head, "but I don't like breasts, apparently."

The woman's laughter grew even louder at that. She crossed her arms over her abdomen in a futile attempt to drown out the pain her outburst brought on, but apparently the looks on the pair's faces combined with the Picasso-style 'artwork' drawn on the first mate's cheeks and forehead was too much.

Sighing once more, Marco pulled Ace closer, causing the other to look up at him questioningly. "Just don't try it again, alright?"

A grateful smile crossed the freckled pirate's lips and he nodded.

"Anyways," Silvia began after regaining composure, "I came to say goodbye."

Ace turned to her and blinked. Then it came to him; the crew was about to set sail. He felt kind of bad, leaving so suddenly. But that was the life of a pirate, so there was no helping it. Plus he felt pretty happy about leaving without being dragged to the red light district—Thatch kept trying to persuade him.

"So," she continued, "thanks."

"For what?"

"For being my escort," she replied, pulling Ace away from his partner into a tight embrace. As she rested her chin on the crook of his neck, she whispered, "Told you so." When they pulled apart, she turned to the first mate. "Take care of him, okay? He's an idiot."

"I know yoi."

"Oi!"

With that, Silvia spun on her heel and began walking off the ship. As if on cue, the pirates prepared to set sail. The pair just watched her slowly vanishing figure in silent satisfaction. Everything seemed so… right.

"Oh, Marco," Ace began, coiling his hand around the other's, eyes never moving from the island as it drifted away slowly.

"Hm?" he grunted, returning the hold as he thought about his encounter with that girl. He wasn't sure what to make of her.

"My brother's coming," the youth stated casually. "And you know that rookie—the surgeon one? He's bringing him along. I don't think they really like you—you know, because of all the shit that's been going on. Just thought you should know."

Marco swallowed as he took that in. Wasn't one of Ace's brothers a part of the Revolutionary Army?

_…Fuck._

* * *

**A/N: And this, my friends, is the beginning of the end. Oh, and you're going to hate me for the epilogue :P But my decision stands!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Portgas D. Paula: Hehe yep! But it's not over yet!**

**WeissDragon: Lol you flatter me XD But I'm really glad you enjoy it. Their interaction is fun for me to write XD**

**RoXaS707: Sadly I didn't get to them u_u But they'll be in the next chapter so don't worry! I would join the Whitebeard pirates hands down. Don't think I could keep up with Luffy :P But I think they would throw me overboard within the first week.**

**Son Goshen: Hehe glad you enjoyed. I didn't like how sappy and dramatic it turned out, but I guess relationships are like that sometimes :P **

**mary d ace: Thanks so much! Here's an update!**

**CyberAngelAlexis: Hehe no worries ^^ Glad you enjoyed it! I had a lot of trouble figuring out the best way to get them back together, actually. And here's an update!**

**Stelra Etnae: Yep, Izo is just too awesome :P They have an interesting role, actually. But we'll get to that next chapter!**

**azab: They will be in the next chapter (for sure this time) :)**

**sairakanzaki: Whitebeard will be in the last few chapters, I promise :) He should be in the next one a little, too. You're welcome~**

**Solace in the Chaos: Well I thank you for continuing with the story! Hehe it's okay, you don't have to review if you don't want to ^^**

**Kitsune Foxfire: I am glad you liked it! Originally Sabo was going to get through to Marco, but I thought it was too predictable :P His role is a bit different now XD**

**Starry Roses: Yes he did :D **

**pumpkintofu: Your reactions amuse me to no end XD Really glad you got into it! Yeah, I'm mean to them (especially Ace) I'll admit, but that's the fun of it all :P If Marco just accepted him it'd be over too quickly, right? Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews! It's nice to see how interested people are in the plot :D **

**buslimpan: To be honest, I always thought of Ace as being really tsundere :P So glad you're enjoying it! Hope this was as good as the previous chapters! **

**katesmak: Glad you like~ The funny thing about SaboLaw is that my reviewers from my other fic ****_Divide_**** brought it on XD I honestly never would haev thought of it otherwise lol.**

**(And that, ladies and gents, is that. Umm... not much to say... except I hope you enjoyed and that you will also like these last few chapters. It's been an awesome adventure writing this :D Now off to update some other fic! Maybe :P Adieu~)**


	14. His Permanent Resolve

**Well, next chapter is the last. I know I said there'd be two or three more, but I feel dragging it out would make it boring. Then after that all that's left is the epilogue. This will be my first finished fic that isn't a oneshot on this site. I feel like I'm wearing a badge of honour right now :D**

**So my updates have been slow lately. This isn't because I've been writing less - I've actually been writing more (4 chapters today alone) - but since it's exam/finals season and everyone's busy with school I figured I'd slow down on updating my currect stories while some of my readers/reviewers are away. I'm working on two new stories - got 5 hapters done of one and 4 of the other - that won't be posted until I'm sure I can regularly update them. So yeah, I've been pretty productive lately!**

**Also, next chapter will be your last chance to vote on whether or not I make the alternate version to this story. Remember that! :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. Hell, I don't even know what it is! Hopefully when Luffy finds it he can tell us :P**

* * *

It was two days after their departure that the Whitebeard crew encountered one of the Revolutionary Army's ships. Newgate had everyone prepare for battle just in case; while they rarely fought, they weren't allies, meaning that the threat of a fight breaking out was still present.

See, Ace completely forgot to mention his brother's little visit to Oyaji. And Marco had been so distracted by his duties that it completely slipped his mind. But there it was—the ship Sabo and Trafalgar were on—and the freckled pirate figured that was as good a time as any to explain.

He thought they were going to kill him.

The atmosphere was tense and all of the commanders were prepared to order their divisions to attack at the first sign of suspicious movement from the other crew and there was Ace telling them that it was his oh-so-loving brother. Whitebeard just laughed it off and invited them onboard. Were it not for him, dear Portgas would have faced the wrath of very, v_ery_ angry pirates.

Everything went quiet as a tall blonde wearing a blue jacket and top hat began his walk across the gangplank, a steel bo staff casually placed in his right hand. Behind him came a dark-skinned man with jet-black hair, a white spotted hat and a giant nodachi swung over his shoulder. Visually the two were polar opposites right down to the looks in their eyes. They didn't look very friendly to the Whitebeard pirates who were wondering if what Ace said was true.

The crew remained silent as the first made his way across the deck, stopping in front of Edward Newgate. The two's eyes locked for a moment before the blonde revolutionary entered a low bow. "Thank you for taking care of my brother, Whitebeard," he said in the utmost respectful of tones, never rising until the other told him to. When he stood straight up again he smiled at the old Yonko. "It's an honour, Sir."

"Gurarara," Whitebeard laughed, amused by the boy. "So you're the brat's brother?" he asked while taking a swig of rum, much to the dismay of his nurses.

Sabo nodded.

"Then you're welcome here, boy."

"Ace's brother is our brother!" Haruta shouted from amongst the commanders, smiling cheerily at the blonde.

Sabo's smile widened. "I appreciate that," he replied, bowing his head slightly as he did so.

Whispers spread through the crew like wildfire, comparing the brothers' manners.

"Where is that moron, anyways—"

"Oi!" came a shout from his left. Sabo turned to see Ace storming up to him in his usual, brutish fashion. "I resent that!" he declared in a clearly irritated voice.

"Ah, Ace!" Sabo began, completely ignoring his brother's complaint. "It's nice to see you again," he said with a large, toothy grin that almost rivaled Luffy's.

The fire user narrowed his eyes when he saw that he was ignored but quickly forgot that when he spotted the stranger standing near his brother. As he looked him over he came to recognize him as Trafalgar Law, the rookie who recently shot to fame for his rather… unorthodox ways of going about pirating.

Ace walked right past his brother and to the rookie to place his hands on the other's shoulders. He could tell that Law was glaring at him, sending him a silent threat along the lines of 'if you don't let go I'm going to tear off your arms' but ignored it to instead face his siblings with his usual cocky grin. "This guy's that rookie captain of the Heart pirates, Trafalgar Law. He's Sabo's wife so be nice."

"He's my _what_?" Sabo questioned, voice dangerous and low.

Ace turned to the blonde and stuck his tongue out childishly. Before he knew it he was being attacked by a very large nodachi. It didn't faze him, though, as the blade simply passed through his body of fire. Clearly the surgeon had yet to learn haki, lucky for him. He would in time, though, so Ace would keep an eye out for him in the future.

"You're pushing your luck, Portgas. Don't think that just because you're Sabo's brother I won't cut you up," Law threatened, holding his stance.

Ace faked a pout. "And here I thought we'd get along so well."

The rest of the crew was laughing at the display and at Fire Fist's earlier comment and suddenly the tense atmosphere had been lifted. Marco smiled at that; it was amazing how Ace could lighten the mood every time. He always loved that about his partner.

"And you would be Marco the Phoenix, correct?" the blonde revolutionary asked as he stepped away from the two fighting and neared the first mate.

"Yeah," he replied, his half-lidded eyes scanning the other's features. While Ace warned that the two visiting might have wanted to—how did he put it? 'Tear his limbs apart' or something like that—the one before him was smiling rather enthusiastically. Relying on knowledge of his lover to assess the blonde, he decided that a smile was probably a bad sign; Ace had a bad habit of grinning when he thought of something devious. "And you're Sabo yoi."

"Correct," the revolutionary confirmed. Suddenly his face turned dark, smile fell and eyes narrowed. "You and I are going to have a _very_ enthusiastic talk later," he whispered, glaring hatefully at the first mate.

Law seemed to hear what he said because he stopped his assault on a very amused fire user to turn to face the pineapple-head. "So you're the chicken?" he asked, mouth curving into the most sadistic of grins. "Then…" He sheathed his nodachi and began removing something from his pants pocket. From the glance Marco got, it was thin, shiny and metallic. Given his epitaph, the phoenix could only assume it was a scalpel.

Marco didn't get to confirm his guess because an interruption from his lover's brother had the surgeon sliding the object back into his pocket. "Not now, Traffy," the blonde said as he turned around and approached the supernova.

Sabo spun to face the bulk of the Whitebeard crew and once again lowered into a bow. "I understand you've all been caring for my sister-turned-brother. For that you have my gratitude… and my sympathy."

The crew laughed at that, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Oi! Stop insulting me!"

* * *

An hour later the crowd dispersed. Satisfied with questioning their youngest member's brother and his 'wife' as Ace so delicately put it, they returned to their duties as usual, leaving the siblings and their partners to do a little catching up—or, well, get to know each other.

The afternoon found Sabo irritated. He sat on the rail, arms folded and brows furrowed. "So you're saying you patched things up?"

"Mm," Ace nodded.

"And you never bothered to call and tell me that?"

"…In my defense, I'm forgetful."

"Clearly," Sabo snapped back, very obviously holding back his urge to pummel the larger man.

"Hold still!" Law shouted in exasperation as Ace shifted in place.

Ace froze and ceased movement of his torso, turning his head slightly so that he could see what the surgeon was doing. Earlier when he mentioned getting a tattoo, Law had—suspiciously—offered to do it for him. If the pirate had to guess, he was sure it was because he learned he wouldn't be able to dissect the first division commander as he was hoping. It was the closest he could get to tearing into someone, he supposed.

One thing bothered him, though. "…Why do you know how to do this? Actually—forget that—why do you have a tattoo gun in the first place?"

"I'm a surgeon," was his simple answer.

"Exactly! Tattooing shouldn't apply to you!"

"It's no use asking," Sabo joined in, "he's just like that."

"But it makes no sense!"

"Neither does the crossed out 'S' in this tattoo. Care to explain that?" Law asked.

Ace grinned ear to ear. He was hoping to have someone ask about it. In his mind it was ingenious. Of course, his mind was often a barren wasteland when not revolving around food, sleep or Marco, but that was beside the point. He felt it was a great show of his resolve. "It stands for 'sex'."

Sabo raised an eyebrow. "So you're celibate now?" he questioned in a teasing voice.

Fire Fist glared at his sibling hatefully. "No," he began, "sex as in male or female. It's crossed out because it does matter anymore." He looked over his shoulder at the blonde who was laxly leaning against the mast. "Right, Marco?"

The man in question palmed his face and shook his head in disbelief over his lover's logic. _Only you, Ace_. "Just don't switch genders again; I don't think I could handle it."

Ace pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The blonde sighed, a slight bit of colour rising to his cheeks. "I love you, Ace, but I'd like to know what name to call you by and whether to expect a man or a woman in bed yoi."

The fire user scowled, turning to get a better look at the first mate. "It's not like I became a man on purpose, Pineapple!"

"For fuck's sake, Fire Fist, I swear I'll steal your left kidney if you move again," Law threatened, shoving the larger man back into his seat and away from his partner. He gave him one last glare before resuming the tattoo. "Do you know how hard it is to do this when your damn ability keeps acting up and fucking with my work?"

Ace shied away when he saw the sharpness in the dark-skinned teen's eyes, showing just how serious he was about his earlier threat. He heard how volatile that rookie could be. He'd have to be unpredictable for Sabo to take an interest in him, anyways; the blonde loved surprises.

Still, he couldn't help but recite one final comment. "My ability wouldn't matter if you could use haki, rookie."

Law's eyes shot back up to the freckled man hatefully. "That's it," he said in a low voice as he stood and unsheathed his nodachi. "Room," he voiced in what almost sounded like a chant. Suddenly the air around them tinted blue. It obviously had something to do with his devil fruit but Ace had no idea which one he ate.

"You got him angry, Ace," Sabo stated with a smile.

Ace turned to his brother and then back to the surgeon only to see his nodachi come crashing down on his shoulder, completely removing the limb. He stared wide-eyed as Law's fingers danced around, pulling his floating appendage over to him. Then, as though nothing ever happened, he continued working on the tattoo.

"Oi! That's my arm!" Ace shouted, as though it weren't the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can have it back when I finish my work," the pirate stated, not once looking away from the tattoo.

Ace pouted but assumed everything was fine, seeing as he wasn't bleeding and the surgeon said he'd return it later. Instead he spun around on his chair and glared at Marco.

The phoenix raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You didn't even react to him taking my arm. What if I was bleeding to death?"

Marco rolled his eyes. "You're not yoi," he stated, walking nearer to the freckled youth. "And unlike you I actually bother to learn the abilities of other pirates."

Ace blushed—Marco had a point, seeing as he rarely paid attention to other crews. He knew that already, though. Really he just felt like annoying the man since he hadn't been able to do so for so long. He missed bothering him.

Sighing, Marco threw his arms around Ace's shoulders. "Now stop complaining yoi."

Ace closed his eyes and took in the moment—the feel of Marco's arms wrapped around him, his chin resting on the freckled man's head, thumb rubbing smooth circles on his still-attached arm. He allowed himself to relax, but not before asking one more question brought to his mind by their current conversation. "Would you avenge me if I died?"

He felt Marco's grip on him tighten after those words passed his lips, as though to assure he was there—that he wasn't just an illusion.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Ace."

"But if it did?" he pressed.

Marco adjusted himself, pulling his lover nearer to his chest, close to his heart. "…Yeah. I would."

Ace smiled. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to ask him. He recalled Thatch's story of how Marco's last lover died at sea and knew how negatively he might have reacted to that question. But damn did it feel good hearing that answer.

"Thanks, Turkey. I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter. Just one. We're finally here! :D And a big thanks to Kitsune Firefox for inspiring the second scene by asking about Ann's tattoo! (Read her stuff - it's amazing. Puts me to shame.) Also, please review! We're coming down to the very end of this story so I would really like to hear what you guys think of it. I'm going to miss writing this story and reading your responses when it's all over :(**

**To my lovelies~**

**Portgas D. Paula: Hope you enjoyed their interaction! They'll be in the next chapter a bit, too :) Awe I always read between classes too XD**

**buslimpan: Glad you liked that part ^^ I added it to show how much he cares and how he's scared of losing Ace again. Hehe yep, he's just lucky Ace straightened things out before Sabo and Law could get to him :P**

**Ern Estine 13624: Glad you like :)**

**Stelra Etnae: Yes it is! And everything shall end next chapter! Marco gets tortured by everyone in this fic, I swear XD**

**RoXaS707: Hope Law and Sabo lived up to your expectations! Lol nope, I'd start giving them psych evaluations and they'd throw me overboard :P No Thatch is not going to die in the epilogue and no Ace is not going to turn back into a woman. As Marco said, he doesn't want to deal with that crap again :P Actually the epilogue is pretty happy and upbeat throughout most of it, it's just something at the end that you guys will want to kill me over. I wouldn't call it twisted... well, not fully anyways :P **

**sairakanzaki: Well it was going to be a disaster but Ace fixed everything so Marco got to keep his head :D Glad you're enjoying it :) Hope the ending lives up to your expectations!**

**Son Goshen: Yep, everything's finally going well for them! Marco's lucky Ace was there or he would have been dissected :P**

**Kitsune Foxfire: We may never know :P I had fun writing Silvia into this story. If I do end up doing the alternate version I'm going to be sad not writing her. She's a very static character but I had fun coming up with how she acted and her story. But, well, she won't fit into the new plot. The pillow-talk was probably my favourite part of the last chapter to write, just because they got to have a happy, casual conversation for once :D Hope this lived up to your expectations!**

**azab: Glad you like :)**

**Akashica: Hope you enjoyed it! :)**

**(Thank you all for your support throughout this story. I feel I should give some sort of speech but I'll forgoe that in favour of just telling you how much your favs, follows and reviews have meant to me while writing this. Seriously, hearing from you guys and seeing that you're enjoying my writing is what keeps me going on tough days when I'm down on myself and wondering if I'm really good enough to write at all. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. That was really sappy. Sorry. Anyways, I hope to see you all for the final chapter and epilogue. It's been one hell of a journey. Adieu~)**


	15. Moving Forward

**Sorry for the delay! I got distracted by my two new stories, ****_Flame and Phoenix _****and ****_Within._**** This is the last chapter so maybe you'll want to check them out :D**

* * *

Marco continued lightly massaging Ace's shoulder as he rested against him, fast asleep. He watched as Law neared them with his lover's arm, a completed tattoo staring at him from its bicep as he approached. The surgeon bent down and reattached the limp nonchalantly as though it was something he did every day. Well, it probably was.

"Thanks," he said with a small smile, "for going along with his stupid idea."

The rookie's darkly-rimmed eyes glanced his way as he rose to his feet. "I haven't a clue what you're talking about," he stated as he stretched and removed the gloves from his hands.

It wasn't very late but the sun was down and, Ace having had another episode, he thought it was as good a time as any to bring his lover inside. It looked like it was going to rain, anyways. Slowly he adjusted the boy so that he was resting against the mast and not Marco's shoulder before gripping the underside of his knees and under his arms, preparing to haul him up.

"Hey," came a voice from behind.

Ceasing his earlier actions, he turned to see Sabo standing before him. The younger blonde was staring expectantly at him, eyes urging him to pay attention. Marco complied, gently setting his lover back down on the ground, pulling his arms away as he stood. Fully facing the revolutionary, he looked back at him, waiting for him to move. The boy gestured for him to follow and, dutifully, he did. He felt he had to. That was Ace's brother, after all, and he looked like he had something to say.

The pair stopped at the figurehead, leaning on the rail to look out at the dark, inky ocean water. Neither spoke, met with only the sounds of the crashing waves and wind. He could see Sabo glancing at him periodically—testing him. Suddenly he felt weighted. He knew the man wasn't as simplistic as his lover—that every look he gave meant something. He was calculative, calm and serious. The pressure was on Marco to make a good impression.

"I was with him when it happened," he said in a mute, indifferent voice. The first mate didn't require any more details; he knew what the other was talking about immediately. Ace had mentioned that his gender change occurred in the midst of his visit to his home island. A dark chuckle brought him away from his thoughts and he spotted Sabo's mouth curve ever so slightly. "What worried him most was what you would think of him."

Marco's ears perked up at that and he raised his eyebrows a bit. "Hm?"

The revolutionary shifted his weight, resting his arms on the support, hunching over. He didn't bother to face the pirate, his eyes moving upward towards the sky. "He thought he'd lose you." Marco's eyes, normally lidded with indifference, widened. "He almost did."

The guilt he felt previously for taking so long to accept his lover's new form increased tenfold. He couldn't help but remember every broken-hearted look Ace gave him throughout the past few weeks. It was made much more real by that statement. "I was an idiot yoi."

He heard a sigh pass the lips of the one who stood beside him. "No, you were adjusting. It's natural. I take it you've never been with a man before now."

"I haven't," Marco confirmed.

"What made you decide?"

The phoenix had to think a moment. He wasn't sure _when_ he accepted Ace as he was, let alone _how_. The whole time they were apart was all a big blur, looking back. He knew he wasn't thinking straight at the time and that he was confused, but otherwise… what caused him to change his mind about the whole thing? As he reflected, he remembered the one instance that drove him over the edge—that moonlit night when he found the boy standing above a certain woman, faces and bodies only inches from each other. "…I didn't want to lose him."

Sabo closed his eyes. "I see." He turned around and leaned back, elbows resting on the wood. "Ace isn't very trusting, you know."

He knew. The whole crew did. Ann spent months trying to take Oyaji's head and was weary of the food and drink they offered her. She would snarl and put up a defensive front whenever someone would near her and wanted nothing to do with them for the longest time. That started to change when Marco explained why they called Whitebeard 'Oyaji'.

_Wait._

There was something he was forgetting…

"Now that you have his trust, you have to be careful with it. If you break it, he'll be crushed."

Those words snapped him away from his earlier concentration and the weight he felt increased. "I know. I won't." Ace was fragile—not in the physical sense; he could take care of himself. Marco wasn't sure what it was but something about his lover said that there was incident in his past, long before he set sail. He was hurt. That's why he had trouble trusting people—why it took so long for him to open up.

He was getting closer to remembering something. It was resting just beyond conscious memory.

"I'm saying this now as a warning," Sabo began, turning his head to make eye contact with the first mate. His face held unwavering resolve and a hint of danger. He was serious. "You do _anything_ to hurt my brother and I'll make sure you rue the day you crossed me. Understand?"

Marco looked down at the boy, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. Despite the blatant threat, he couldn't help the tiny smile that forcefully graced his lips knowing how much the revolutionary cared for his partner. "I'm not going to leave him yoi." _Once was hard enough._

Sabo's eyes remained on him, searching for any sign of hesitation, before his muscles relaxed and he turned away. "Never forget those words." His features softened after that and his shoulders sagged, releasing the tension built up in his torso. The boy was staring at his brother, a fond smile gracing his features as he watched him sleep. "Your captain is amazing, you know—to get Ace to consider him a father."

"He's always been—" He froze, eyes widening. Oyaji. _Father_. And then he realized.

Hadn't his lover introduced himself as _Gol D. Ace_?

* * *

Ace stirred as his peaceful rest came to an end, moaning as he stretched his unused muscles. For a moment he returned to laying there quietly as his senses returned. First came feeling. Whatever he was laying against was warm and smooth—familiar. Then hearing—he could vaguely make out the quiet, shallow breaths of one other in the room. Finally, after being certain of his wakefulness, the fire user opened his eyes, met with a deep purple and flesh tone. He saw that he was lying against Marco's side, a hand falling over the muscles in his chest. Beneath him lay the familiar cushion of their mattress, curving to fit his body. Quickly he became aware of the arm that snaked around his shoulder, giving him a sense of security—of belonging. It brought a sated grin to his face.

Looking up, he was met with the soft eyes of his lover. "I fell asleep?"

"You fell asleep," Marco mimicked, giving him a gentle smile.

Ace gave a slight nod before closing his eyes once more and snuggling deeper into Marco's side, stealing his heat—not that he was cold, being a fire user, but the warmth from his fire and the warmth from his partner's body were different.

"So you're Roger's son, then?"

At that, the freckled pirate's eyes shot open and he bolted upright, turning to meet the blonde's eyes with a look of complete shock. His mind raced, wondering how the hell he knew that, before he was reminded of the day he returned to the ship. "W-well…" He scratched his head, worried of what to say and how the first mate would react. He could think of nothing to explain himself with. "…Sorry."

Marco sighed. "I'm not mad yoi."

The boy blinked. "You're not?"

"Why would I be?"

Ace turned away, looking down into his lap as his brow furrowed. Fisting the bed sheets, he could think of many reasons his lover should be upset: he hid the truth from him, was unable to trust his partner with his darkest secret… and…

He was the son of a demon—of the Whitebeard pirates' enemy.

Rough yet carful fingers ran though his dark strands, ruffling his hair endearingly. Looking up, Ace saw the first mate wearing his usual understanding smile—the one he always used to cheer him up, telling him more than words could give.

_It's okay. I don't care. I love you._

Chest swelling with relief, he pushed his body against his bedmate's, allowing a pair of strong arms to wrap around his back as he rested his forehead on Marco's shoulder. He wanted to stay like that for as long as he could. He wished to take in the moment, to engrave it into his memory, because it was more than he could ask for.

No matter how many times they proved it, he was always brimming with happiness when his crewmates showed that he mattered—that they accepted him. _You're one of us._

"Thanks, Pineapple."

He felt Marco's chest recede as he released a particularly large breath, absently moving to massage the back of Ace's neck with his thumb.

"You going to stop calling me that yoi?"

Ace lifted his head and grinned at the older man. "Never," he answered teasingly, pressing their lips together for a quick kiss before the other could protest.

Marco rolled his eyes in a show of false exasperation but the gesture was lost to the upward curve of his lips.

* * *

Sabo glanced back at his brother as he prepared to walk across the gangplank, laughing when he saw the childish pout on his face.

"You can't stay?"

"I have duties to attend to, I'm afraid," the revolutionary replied, allowing Law to walk across first. "Dragon needs me back soon."

"You're no fun."

"And you're too easygoing," Sabo retorted, flicking his forehead. "Take care, Ace."

He crossed the plank and hopped onto the deck of his own ship, met with Trafalgar's lax figure. Immediately their vessel pulled away, changing course. The blonde looked as the Moby Dick drifted further away, watching his brother leaning against the ship's rail. Though Ace was technically older than him by a few months and _should_ have been more mature, he wasn't. Sabo couldn't help but worry. The pirate was a troublemaker with a short temper and throughout their childhood it was up to Sabo to keep him from doing anything stupid. They were always together back then—the three of them. _Inseparable._

While he loved the life he lived out on the ocean, supporting the Revolutionary Dragon's vision of bringing down the World Government, he couldn't help but get a little homesick every once in a while. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if they went along with Luffy's idea and sailed together, but the thought was always lost when he realised how different each of their goals were. Though for the longest time Ann claimed she was going to find the _One Piece—_wash away her father's name so that she wouldn't live in his shadow any longer—Sabo knew that wasn't what she really wanted. Luffy cared about the treasure, but not Ann—not _Ace_. He craved belonging and what he got from his brothers just wasn't enough.

And now he found it.

Looking at Ace's figure in the distance, he saw a distinct head of blonde hair approach. Wrapping his arm securely around the boy, the first mate held him close.

He smiled. His brother didn't really need him anymore, did he?

Law arrived next to him, bending forward against the support, his fingers tangling themselves together. "Always the sentimental one, aren't you?"

The revolutionary grinned. "Reflection holds not one sentiment, only the will to understand and move forward, my dear psychopath."

Law snorted, "Says the romantic." Turning to face the blonde, he pressed their lips together, allowing his tongue to snake around his mouth for a time before pulling back. He gave his lover a devilish grin.

Sabo blinked. "What was that for?"

"You let your guard down," the surgeon replied with a shrug. "Now, I expect to be dropped back off at my submarine."

And amused smiled crossed the revolutionary's face as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to order me around, Trafalgar?"

"I am."

"You're pretty daring, for a rookie that doesn't know haki."

"I may not know haki but I know _you_."

"…Touché."

* * *

"You sure?" Ace asked, sitting on his partner's lap and wrapping his arms around the first mate's neck, intertwining his fingers. "It… doesn't bother you?"

Marco sighed. "It's fine yoi. I'm not going to say it again." While having a man straddling him instead of the small, thin frame he was used to was a very different experience for the blonde, he didn't dislike it. After elevating their relationship back to where it was before, Marco was pretty comfortable with Ace's body. It didn't bother him like it used to. In fact, were it not for the fire user constantly reminding him, he wouldn't even notice that things were different than before. It felt natural to him.

"But before…"

"It's probably better this way."

"…Eh?"

Leaning back against the headboard, Marco closed his eyes. He recalled a time long ago—a certain island and the girl he took form it. And then…

"It's nothing."

Ace furrowed his brows as he pouted, eyeing the blonde in an attempt to get him to explain. Marco didn't feel the need, though, and instead tightened his grip around the boy, running his hands down his sides to settle on his hips, feeling the contours of his muscle. Woman, he decided years before, were fragile. That's why he went so many years without pursuing another. That only changed when Ann came along and, even then, he was constantly wrought with worry. What if it happened again? What if he lost her?

Back then he reached out his hand but the woman he adored couldn't hold on.

Pressing their foreheads together, Marco looked into the deep gray pools of Ace's eyes, freckles splayed across his cheeks. As a man, his lover was sturdy. Sure Ann wasn't weak, but he could never erase the series of 'what ifs' that coursed through his head whenever he thought of her—especially when they were apart. In his lover's current form he found his nerves sated. He could relax.

Adjusting his head, he began placing light, loving kisses along the boy's jawline. He felt Ace's arms tighten around his back, encouraging him. He continued his light touches before he found himself pushing the commander down onto the bed. He hovered above him, looking the youth's body over before slowly moving to brush their lips. Ace hated being teased, though, and quickly pulled them together for a more satisfying kiss.

They parted and stared at each other for a hasty few seconds, eyes locked on one another.

_"You didn't look at my face."_

"Happy yoi?"

Ace grinned, "Very."

Smirk tugging at his lips, Marco dove down to continue.

* * *

_Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru._

Ace groaned as that annoying sound drew him away from his blissful sleep. He had a wonderful night with the object of his ardent affections and wanted to sleep in, but apparently that was a grace he was not permitted. So, sluggishly he removed his arms from their place around his bird's torso, hauling his upper half to sit on the mattress, reaching across the still-resting body beside him to grab hold of his baby den den mushi.

Marco stirred as he answered the call.

"…The hell do you want?" he asked groggily before heaving a yawn.

_"It's me."_

Ace blinked. "Sabo? What's up?"

_"So many things, Ace, so many things…"_ There was a pause. He sounded exhausted. _"Did you know that Dragon is… never mind, forget I said anything. More importantly: before you arrived in Fushia, did you happen by a revolutionary battleship?"_

"Yeah, they helped patch me up. Why?"

_"To put it simply: we can change you back."_

Ace's jaw went slack. Absently he could hear shuffling beside him as his bedmate woke, raising himself to sit beside him. He didn't pay much attention, though. "So, wait, you can—" Before he could finish, the den den mushi was ripped from his hands and into the grasp of a very tired, very irritated blonde.

"Your efforts are appreciated but we don't care yoi." Without giving Sabo a chance to reply, he cut the line and fell back on the bed, rolling onto his side as he tried to get comfortable again.

Ace blinked. "Marco, you…"

"You said it before, right? It doesn't matter anymore." He knew what his lover was trying to ask. "And I told you I don't want you to change yoi. Now go back to sleep."

Ace sat there, speechlessly staring at the back of the first mate's head. It didn't last and before long his mouth stretched into the widest of grins. He tackled the blonde, giving him a bone-crushing hug of gratitude before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "You always know what to say, Pineapple."

"Then you'll stay as you are yoi?"

"I think I can get used to it," he declared with a cheeky smirk.

* * *

Sabo blinked as the line went dead.

"Something wrong?" Law questioned from his place at the table a few feet from where he stood.

After a moment of silence, the revolutionary smiled. "Looks like the chicken made up its mind."

"No dissection, then?"

"No," he confirmed.

Law sighed, "Pity."

* * *

**A/N: There it is! The ending! ...I can't believe that sappy cheese came from my mind e_e It's disturbing, actually. But there you go! Just as you guys wanted, this is my first happy ending! Don't expect it again :P Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the story! I kind of have the urge to write a mini fic prequel type thing about hoe Ann and Marco got together... nah, no one'd be interested in that.**

**SO! Almost everyone wanted me to write the alternate version so I will. It'll be longer, hopefully deeper and more engaging. But I'm not going to start on it right away. Give me a month or so. Also, though the story is marked as complete I'm still going to write the epilogue so look out for that! I'll probably post it the day I post the first chapter of the alternate version.**

**This is my first ever completed multi-fic ;_; Thank you guys for supporting me through this!**

**To my lovelies~**

**azab: Hope the ending was satisfying :)**

**BluePhoenix0101: Because we needed Marco to live XD But Sabo's insults are awesome :D Seriously, they're so fun to write.**

**Remnant of Life: Me too XD I kind of went into that chapter blind and winged it but as soon as I got to that part I was like "I know exactly what to do!"Hope you liked it :)**

**hensonmakenzie: Here it is!**

**sairakanzaki: Hope it met your expectations!**

**carcinoGeneticistCG: That's why I love writing them :P**

**buslimpan: Lol XD Glad you enjoyed!**

**Stelra Etnae: I'd love to be a part of that family XD That was my favourite part to write. Well you got a look into his thoughts this chapter so I hope that helped ^^**

**Son Goshen: Really? I thought it was stupid XD Marco's face-palm was basically what my reaction would have been :P Hopefully I wrapped it up alright. I've never finished a multi-chapter fanfic before so...**

**Kitsune Foxfire: I'm glad you do XD Yeah, he really does. Think of how much trouble could have been avoided!**

**Guest: Thanks so much for all of your reviews! Really happy you enjoyed the story ^^ Makino and Dadan are there, but the fic was too short to actually include them. Nope, sadly. Though Luffy's mentioned, I didn't see where I could fit him in since he just set sail and would have been at the beginning of his journey when all this happened, far from the Grand Line and New World. Yeah, Sabo and Ann didn't work well. But they tried :) I kind of put their pairing into the story to put the rest into perspective. SaboLaw was kind of weird for me. Readers of my fic ****_Divide_**** kept suggesting it so I got curious and wanted to try it out XD I think it worked okay, at least. It feels a lot less awkward after writing it into the story! XD He's not dead :) Though the epilogue... nah, I won't say it. For some reason I tend to kill off Luffy in my fics, not Ace o.o Yeah, they're here! Won't be in the epilogue, though. I think I'll fit something about Luffy's bounty into the epilogue but that's it. I will be doing the alternate version :) It'll come out in a month or so! The day One Piece finishes will be happy yet sad.**

**(So thank you all to the readers and reviewers of this story. You're the main reason I saw it to its completion, seriously. I have a bad habit of dropping stories before I have a chance to finish them but your support has seen me to the end of this one. Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you in future stories! Adieu~)**


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